Science, Vol.362, No.6421, 1416-+, 2018
NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity contributes to tumor control by a cytostatic drug combination
Molecularly targeted therapies aim to obstruct cell autonomous programs required for tumor growth. We show that mitogen-activated protein kinase (MARK) and cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitors act in combination to suppress the proliferation of KRAS-mutant lung cancer cells while simultaneously provoking a natural killer (NK) cell surveillance program leading to tumor cell death. The drug combination, but neither agent alone, promotes retinoblastoma (RB) protein-mediated cellular senescence and activation of the irnmunomodulatory senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). SASP components tumor necrosis factor-u and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 are required for NK cell surveillance of drug-treated tumor cells, which contributes to tumor regressions and prolonged survival in a KRAS-mutant lung cancer mouse model. Therefore, molecularly targeted agents capable of inducing senescence can produce tumor control through non-cell autonomous mechanisms involving NK cell surveillance.