KCa3.1 channels regulate the tumor infiltration of functionally competent NK cells in head and neck cancer.

ABSTRACT: CD8⁺ T cells and natural killer (NK) cells are the primary defenses against tumor cells. The tumor microenvironment impairs their antitumor capabilities, including the ability to infiltrate the tumor. Our laboratory has shown that tumors suppress T cells by inhibiting KCa3.1 K⁺ channel activity that controls cytokine release, cytotoxicity, and chemotaxis. However, little is known about the role of K⁺ channels in the anti-tumor activity of NK cells. Here, we investigated KCa3.1 channels' role in human NK cell function in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Selective blockade of KCa3.1 using TRAM-34 inhibited chemotaxis of NK cells from both healthy donors and patients with HNSCC, while KCa3.1pharmacological activation increased chemotaxis and cyto

SUBMITTER: Alshwimi AO 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12534442 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature