natural killer cell therapy【DOC精选】.doc

Prospects for adoptive natural killer cell therapy Abstract: Natural killer (NK) cells are cytotoxic and cytokine-producing lymphocytes, involved in the immune defense against viral infections and tumors. Their effector function is regulated by cytokines and membrane associate receptors able to inhibit or activate cellular programs. NK cells are able to discriminate self from non-self through MHC class I-binding inhibitory receptor. When NK cells are faced with allogeneic targets which do not express the inhibiting class I ligand(s), NK cells may mediate alloreactions (“missing self” recognition). NK cells are emerging to apply as therapeutic agents against many types of cancers. NK cell alloreactivity has been demonstrated to enhanced control of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) relapse and no risk of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) in HLA haplotype-mismatched hematopoietic transplantation, and have been explored as tools for adoptive immunotherapy for poor prognosis AML patients. Future larger clinical trials are required to determine the usefulness of NK cells as adoptive immunortherapy, optimal NK cell doses, and timing of administration. It is hoped that allogeneic NK cell infusions will become a safe and effective form of adoptive immunotherapy of cancer. Introduction: Natural killer (NK) cells comprise 10-20% of human peripheral blood lymphocytes and have the morphology of large granular lymphocytes defined by the expression of CD56 or CD16 and the absence of CD3[1]. They play a role in innate immune system by defending against invading infectious pathogens and malignant transformation through elaboration of cytokines and cytolytic activity [2, 3]. Natural Killer (NK) cells are important effector cells in the immune system where they act as a bridge between the innate and acquired immune responses [4]. NK cells have some surface markers in common with T cells, and they are also functionally similar to cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs). Like CTLs, NK cells are par