NK cells, the natural enemies of cancer cells. Imagine your body as a castle, with NK cells (Natural Killer cells) acting as the vigilant guards patrolling day and night, ready to eliminate lurking enemies—cancer cells. However, over 95% of cancer patients suffer from severe deficiencies in NK cell count and activity due to the disease and treatment process, creating an opportunity for cancer recurrence. Through NK cell infusion therapy, these "guards" can return to their posts, safeguarding post-surgical tumor recovery.

PART 01 The Power of NK Cells: The Secret Weapon Against Cancer Cells  NK cells serve as the first line of defense in the immune system. 

Unlike other immune cells, they do not need to recognize their targets in advance but can swiftly attack upon detecting abnormal cells. By releasing perforin and granzymes, they dismantle the "protective wall" of cancer cells, triggering apoptosis from within. Unfortunately, the immune systems of cancer patients often become exhausted, leading to a significant decline in NK cell count and activity. This "defensive breakdown" not only facilitates the spread of cancer cells but also increases the risk of postoperative recurrence.

PART 02 Clinical Data: Association between Postoperative Recurrence and NK Cell Defects

Multiple clinical studies have found that NK cell activity is closely related to the prognosis of cancer patients.

There is a high correlation between decreased NK cell activity and significantly increased recurrence rate in patients with various types of cancer such as liver cancer and non Hodgkin lymphoma.

Research also shows that cancer patients further weaken the function of NK cells after receiving radiotherapy and chemotherapy, and there is an urgent need to restore their immune activity through intervention measures. 

PART 03 Transfusion of NK Cells: An Effective Tool for Postoperative Relapse Prevention

By reintroducing autologous or allogeneic NK cells, the patient's immune system is enhanced.

These cells are injected into the body after being expanded in vitro, just like replenishing ammunition for soldiers on the battlefield, allowing them to quickly restore combat effectiveness.

Research has shown that patients who receive NK cell reinfusion have a significantly reduced risk of recurrence and an overall extended survival period.

Case study: The therapeutic effect of reinfusion of NK cells

A study on non-small cell lung cancer patients showed that after receiving NK cell infusion therapy after surgery, the tumor recurrence rate decreased by more than 30%.

Another study suggests that the therapy of reinfusion of NK cells significantly improves progression free survival (PFS) in liver cancer patients, demonstrating the potential of NK cells in tumor management. 

PART 04: The Future of NK Cell Transfusion: A New Direction for Personalized Immunotherapy

With the development of biotechnology, NK cell therapy is moving towards personalized direction.

We can use gene editing technology to create CAR-NK cells specifically designed to identify specific cancers, taking the precision of immunotherapy to new heights.

In addition, combined with other immune checkpoint inhibitors such as PD-1 or TIGIT blockade therapy, the efficacy of NK cells has been further amplified.

PART 05 Conclusion: A Critical Step in Tumor Rehabilitation

In summary, NK cell reinfusion is a promising postoperative cancer recurrence prevention and rehabilitation therapy.

In the long-term battle against cancer, we not only need to remove the tumor, but also repair the immune system to prevent the enemy from making a comeback. With the development of technology, it is believed that NK cells will play a more important role in cancer treatment.