UCLA

Advances in Cancer Immunology has provided a deeper understanding of function of immune system in the progression of cancer and application of it in cancer. Especially, Natural Killer (NK) cells, without necessity of prior sensitization, have an ability to target cancer cells, specifically cancer stem cells but not their differentiated counterpart. It has been shown that NK cells induced Interferon – gamma (IFN-γ) and Tumor necrosis factor – alpha (TNF-α) leads to the expression of major histocompatibility complex class – I (MHC-class I) on cancer cells surface and induces differentiation in cancer stem cells. In this study, we have studied NK cells mediated lysis and differentiation of seven different types of ovarian cancer cell lines. OVCAR8 and CaOV3 showed highest sensitivity to NK cells mediated cytotoxicity. IFN-γ and TNF-α induced differentiation in all ovarian cancer cell lines being studied, with the exception of OVCAR8 and CaOV3, and enhanced cytotoxicity of chemotherapeutic drug Carboplatin against them.