Increased peritoneal TGF-β1 is associated with ascites-induced NK-cell dysfunction and reduced survival in high-grade epithelial ovarian cancer.

ABSTRACT: Natural killer (NK) cell therapy represents an attractive immunotherapy approach against recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC), as EOC is sensitive to NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity. However, NK cell antitumor activity is dampened by suppressive factors in EOC patient ascites. Here, we integrated functional assays, soluble factor analysis, high-dimensional flow cytometry cellular component data and clinical parameters of advanced EOC patients to study the mechanisms of ascites-induced inhibition of NK cells. Using a suppression assay, we found that ascites from EOC patients strongly inhibits peripheral blood-derived NK cells and CD34+ progenitor-derived NK cells, albeit the latter were more resistant. Interestingly, we found that higher ascites-induced NK cell inhibition correlated with

SUBMITTER: Maas RJA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11456434 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature