2023/01/01 by Lúcia Mariano da Rocha Silla · 1 voice
Immunology and Microbiology · Medicine · #Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation #Immune Cell Function and Interaction #T-cell and B-cell Immunology
paper · pdf · doi:10.1093/immadv/ltac024
openalex publication_date 2023/01/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/22
Natural killer (NK) cells are innate lymphocytes that react without previous exposition to virus infected or malignant cells and stimulate adaptive immune response to build a long-lasting immunity against it. To that end, tissue resident NK cells are predominantly regulatory as opposed to cytotoxic. In the hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) setting, which curative potential relies on the graft versus leukemia effect, NK cells are known to play a significant role. This knowledge has paved the way to the active investigation on its anti-tumor effect outside the stem cell transplant scenario. Based on the relevant literature on the adoptive transfer of non-genetically modified NK cells for the treatment of relapsed/refractory acute leukemia and on our own experience, we discuss the role of donor cell peripheral blood persistence and expansion and its lack of correlation with anti-leukemia activity.