Use of natural killer cells in hematopoetic stem cell transplantation

• Published in: Bone marrow transplantation (Basingstoke) Vol. 35; no. 7; pp. 637 - 643
• Main Authors: PASSWEG, Jr, STERN, M, KOEHL, U, UHAREK, L, TICHELLI, A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basingstoke Nature Publishing Group 01.04.2005
• Subjects: Adoptive immunotherapy; Anesthesia. Intensive care medicine. Transfusions. Cell therapy and gene therapy; Anticancer properties; Biological and medical sciences; Bone marrow; Bone marrow, stem cells transplantation. Graft versus host reaction; Graft rejection; Graft versus host disease; Graft versus host reaction; Grafting; Health aspects; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation - methods; Hematopoietic stem cells; Histocompatibility antigen HLA; Humans; Immunotherapy; Immunotherapy - methods; Killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors; Killer cells; Killer Cells, Natural - transplantation; Leukemia; Lymphocyte Transfusion - methods; Lymphocytes; Lymphocytes T; Medical sciences; Methods; Natural killer cells; Patients; Physiological aspects; Prevention; Risk factors; Stem cell transplantation; Stem cells; Transfusions. Complications. Transfusion reactions. Cell and gene therapy; Transplantation; Transplantation Immunology; Germany; Natural killer cell; natural killer cells; Treatment; hematopoetic stem cell transplantation; Hematology; Stem cell; Immunotherapy; Hematopoietic cell; Graft; HSCT; Adoptive transfer; adoptive immunotherapy
• ISSN: 0268-3369; 1476-5365
• DOI: 10.1038/sj.bmt.1704810

Adoptive immunotherapy using natural killer (NK) cells may prove useful, especially in situations where infusion of T cells is impractical such as in recipients of haploidentical stem cell transplantation (HSCT) from haploidentical donors. NK cells may induce potent antileukemic and possibly antirejection activity and may even mitigate graft versus host disease (GvHD). Whether such effects are clinically important and whether they are mediated mainly or exclusively by KIR-HLA class I interactions remains to be determined. Recent advances in graft engineering provide for methods to isolate large numbers of purified NK cells. Several groups have shown that clinical grade NK cells up to a dose of 10(7)/kg may be collected and purified for the purpose of infusion to patients. Early results, in a limited number of patients, show that these cell doses may be administered without adverse events and without inducing GvHD. Whether such infusions will be useful in preventing graft rejection, or exerting graft versus leukemia effects and hastening immune recovery requires further study.