Antileukemic Activity of Natural Killer (NK) Cells

Abstract

Since the 1970s, natural killer (NK) cells have been known for their ability to kill virus-infected and tumor cells without prior sensitization. Because of their antileukemic potential, NK cells held great promise for clinical application. However, the initial results fell short of expectations. More recently, important progress has been made in NK cell biology, mainly in the field of target cell recognition through a unique repertoire of receptors. These advances have impacted the study of the antileukemic role of NK cells. Modern concepts, together with methodological progress, have shed new light on NK cell immunotherapy, which now is closer to clinical practice. This review discusses some of these new concepts, emphasizing mechanisms of target cell recognition in the antileukemic role. It also discusses recent advances in NK cell immunotherapy and difficulties for the clinical application of this therapy.