title: [Potential role of NK cells in future anti-tumor immunotherapies].
abstract: Natural Killer (NK) cells are no longer considered as relatively unimportant bystander cells having the capacity to kill certain tumor and virus-infected cells in a mysterious way. During the last decade a significant progress has been made in understanding biology of NK cells in particular their mechanisms of recognition and killing of target cells. This progress has led to novel knowledge-based clinical applications of NK cells as immunotherapeutic tools in various disease settings, especially in bone marrow transplantation for leukemia patients. The potential of NK cell therapy for eradicating solid tumors has not been fully exploited. In this mini-review, we examine the rationale behind these therapies and discuss the problems confronting researchers in their usage as therapeutic agents.
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherche de l'Hôpital Sainte-Justine, L'Axe du Cancer et Maladies Virales et Immunitaires, Département de Microbiologie et d'Immunologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: Alexandre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Iannello
authors.forename: Olfa
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Débbeche
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Samarani
authors.forename: Sébastien
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sabbagh
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Duval
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ahmad
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D018448:Models, Immunological; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D006680:HLA Antigens