title: Natural killer cell allorecognition of missing self in allogeneic hematopoietic transplantation: a tool for immunotherapy of leukemia.
abstract: Donor-versus-recipient natural killer (NK) cell alloreactivity has been established as a key therapeutic element in HLA haplotype mismatched hematopoietic transplants in adult AML and pediatric ALL and as a possible beneficial effector in cord blood transplant for AML. It is effected by functional NK cells which express inhibitory killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor(s) (KIR) for self-class I ligand(s), sense missing expression of donor KIR ligand(s) in the recipient and mediate alloreactions. At present NK cell allotherapy for leukemia is deployed through stem cell transplantation (and ensuing NK cell reconstitution) across KIR ligand mismatches. Studies have been performed to infuse NK cells for immunotherapy outside the fields of transplantation and/or harness the function of endogenous NK cells in patients with hematological malignancies.
authors.affiliation: Division of Haematology and Clinical Immunology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Perugia, Ospedale Santa Maria della Misericordia, 06132 - Perugia, Italy. velardi@unipg.it
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Velardi
authors.forename: Loredana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ruggeri
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mancusi
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Aversa
authors.forename: Frank T
authors.initials: FT
authors.lastname: Christiansen
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000379:methods; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D007951:Leukemia, Myeloid / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous