Cytotoxic immune cell-based immunotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common solid tumors with poor clinical prognosis. Novel therapeutic regimens are urgently required for patients with advanced HCC. Both pre-clinical and clinical studies suggest immunotherapy as an attractive alternative for advanced HCC treatment. Natural killer (NK) cells and CD8+ T cells are the most important cytotoxic immune cells involved in cancer treatment and elimination. Reinvigorating the anticancer activity of NK and CD8+ T cells is the fundamental guarantee for the success of immunotherapy in advanced HCC treatment. Therefore, in this review, we aim to summarize the characteristics and roles of NK and CD8+ T cells in HCC development, describe the frontiers of immunotherapy for advanced HCC based on immune checkpoint inhibitors and adoptive cell transfer, and discuss their limitations and scope for future improvement