Restoring NK cells functionality via cytokine activation enhances cetuximab-mediated NK-cell ADCC: A promising therapeutic tool for HCC patients

•Peripheral NK cells dysfunctionality in HCC patients.•For the first time our study revealed an increase in the level of aberrant CD56−NK cells subset in peripheral blood of HCC patients.•Interrupted crosstalk between mAb and NK cells of HCC patients is a reason for cetuximab treatment failure.•Restoring NK cells functionality by ex vivo cytokines reactivation, induced significant ADCC against Huh7 cells, when combined with cetuximab.•This could pave the way to use reactivated purified NK cells as cell therapy in combination with cetuximab to induce ADCC against HCC.