Potential Role of Natural Killer Cell Group-2 D Receptor in Cancer Therapy

Background: Immunological oncology has transformed cancer therapy, thereby increasing patients' chances of survival and quality of life. Natural killer (NK) cells, specifically, have come to prominence as powerful engines of the inherent immune system response, making them a prospective immunotherapy tool. One of the most crucial NK cell receptors namely NK-group 2, member D (NKG2D) has a pivotal role in both innate and adaptive immunity for establishing the degree of activation of NK cells. It serves as a pertinent activating receptor in the immunological identification and extermination of aberrant cells by natural killer cells and T lymphocytes, recognising a wide variety of ligands to offer comprehensive target specificity. Objective: This article aimed to emphasise a better understanding of the NKG2D receptor's structure, its signalling mechanism, and its potential and prospective implementation in a variety of medical contexts. Method: A search for published material was carried out using some combinations of the terms "cancer", "immunotherapy", "natural killer" and “NKG2D” on PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Google Scholar. All citations from the selected papers were examined. Conclusion: In light of the numerous studies conducted, it is deduced that NKG2D-mediated cancer chemotherapy offers an excellent prospect for usage as a type of chemotherapy soon; nevertheless, additional clinical trials are required before it can be employed in clinical settings. It is crucial to identify and comprehend the functions of several transcription factors that control the expression of NKG2D on the cell membrane by binding to its ligands. Furthermore, approaches centred on augmenting NKG2D expression in immune cells and elevating NKG2DL expression in cancer cells may efficiently trigger the antitumor immune response. Keywords: cancer, immunotherapy, natural killer cell, NK group-2 D receptor