Abstract
T cells that accompany allogeneic hematopoietic grafts for treating leukemia enhance engraftment and mediate the graft-versus-leukemia effect. Unfortunately, alloreactive T cells also cause graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). T cell depletion prevents GVHD but increases the risk of graft rejection and leukemic relapse. In human transplants, we show that donor-versus-recipient natural killer (NK)-cell alloreactivity could eliminate leukemia relapse and graft rejection and protect patients against GVHD. In mice, the pretransplant infusion of alloreactive NK cells obviated the need for high-intensity conditioning and reduced GVHD. NK cell alloreactivity may thus provide a powerful tool for enhancing the efficacy and safety of allogeneic hematopoietic transplantation.
Publication types
-
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
-
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
MeSH terms
-
Acute Disease
-
Animals
-
Antigen-Presenting Cells / immunology
-
Bone Marrow Transplantation / immunology*
-
Disease-Free Survival
-
Graft Survival
-
Graft vs Host Disease / immunology
-
Graft vs Host Disease / prevention & control
-
Graft vs Leukemia Effect
-
H-2 Antigens / immunology
-
Haplotypes
-
Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation*
-
Histocompatibility Testing
-
Humans
-
Killer Cells, Natural / immunology*
-
Killer Cells, Natural / transplantation
-
Leukemia, Myeloid / immunology
-
Leukemia, Myeloid / therapy*
-
Mice
-
Mice, Inbred NOD
-
Mice, Inbred Strains
-
Mice, SCID
-
Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / immunology
-
Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / therapy*
-
Receptors, Immunologic / metabolism
-
Receptors, KIR
-
Recurrence
-
T-Lymphocytes / immunology
-
Transplantation Conditioning
Substances
-
H-2 Antigens
-
Receptors, Immunologic
-
Receptors, KIR