Combined IFN-γ and TNF-α treatment enhances the susceptibility of breast cancer cells and spheroids to Natural Killer cell-mediated killing.

ABSTRACT: NK cell-based immunotherapy of solid tumors has been shown to be increasingly successful, but much effort is still needed to optimize its efficacy. This study explores the effects of treatment with low, non-toxic doses of IFN-γ and TNF-α on the susceptibility of breast cancer (BC) cell lines (MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, and MDA-MB-468) cultured in 2D and 3D as spheroids, to NK cell-mediated antitumor function. We evaluated the expression of (i) ligands for NK cell-activating receptors on BC cells, (ii) death and adhesion molecules on BC cells, and (iii) the expression of NK cell-receptors on NK cells infiltrating BC spheroids. Cytokine treatment significantly increased the expression of FAS, TRAIL-R2, and ICAM-1 in all BC cell lines, enhancing NK cell-mediated apoptosis and promoting NK cell-tumor

SUBMITTER: Barberini F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12533081 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature