TY - JOUR
T1 - Human NK cells: from surface receptors to the therapy of leukemias and solid tumors
AU - Moretta, Lorenzo
AU - Pietra, Gabriella
AU - Montaldo, Elisa
AU - Vacca, Paola
AU - Pende, Daniela
AU - Falco, Michela
AU - Del Zotto, Genny
AU - Locatelli, Franco
AU - Moretta, Alessandro
AU - Mingari, Maria Cristina
PY - 2014
Y1 - 2014
N2 - Natural Killer (NK) cells are major effector cells of the innate immunity. The discovery, over two decades ago, of major histocompatibility complex-class l-specific inhibitory NK receptors and subsequently of activating receptors, recognizing ligands expressed by tumor or virus-infected cells, paved the way to our understanding of the mechanisms of selective recognition and killing of tumor cells. Although NK cells can efficiently kill tumor cells of different histotypes in vitro, their activity may be limited in vivo by their inefficient trafficking to tumor lesions and by the inhibition of their function induced by tumor cells themselves and by the tumor microenvironment. On the other hand, the important role of NK cells has been clearly demonstrated in the therapy of high risk leukemias in the haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplantation setting. NK cells derived from donor HSC kill leukemic cells residual after the conditioning regimen, thus preventing leukemia relapses. In addition, they also kill residual dendritic cells and T lymphocytes, thus preventing both GvH disease and graft rejection.
AB - Natural Killer (NK) cells are major effector cells of the innate immunity. The discovery, over two decades ago, of major histocompatibility complex-class l-specific inhibitory NK receptors and subsequently of activating receptors, recognizing ligands expressed by tumor or virus-infected cells, paved the way to our understanding of the mechanisms of selective recognition and killing of tumor cells. Although NK cells can efficiently kill tumor cells of different histotypes in vitro, their activity may be limited in vivo by their inefficient trafficking to tumor lesions and by the inhibition of their function induced by tumor cells themselves and by the tumor microenvironment. On the other hand, the important role of NK cells has been clearly demonstrated in the therapy of high risk leukemias in the haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplantation setting. NK cells derived from donor HSC kill leukemic cells residual after the conditioning regimen, thus preventing leukemia relapses. In addition, they also kill residual dendritic cells and T lymphocytes, thus preventing both GvH disease and graft rejection.
KW - NK cells
KW - activating NK receptors
KW - acute leukemias
KW - tumor microenvironment
KW - hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
KW - killer Ig-like receptors
KW - alloreactive NK cells
KW - NK cells
KW - activating NK receptors
KW - acute leukemias
KW - tumor microenvironment
KW - hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
KW - killer Ig-like receptors
KW - alloreactive NK cells
UR - http://hdl.handle.net/10807/242994
U2 - 10.3389/fimmu.2014.00087
DO - 10.3389/fimmu.2014.00087
M3 - Article
SN - 1664-3224
VL - 5
SP - N/A-N/A
JO - Frontiers in Immunology
JF - Frontiers in Immunology
ER -