title: Natural killer cells modulation in hematological malignancies.
abstract: Hematological malignancies (HM) treatment improved over the last years resulting in increased achievement of complete or partial remission, but unfortunately high relapse rates are still observed, due to remaining minimal residual disease. Therefore, sustainment of long-term remission is crucial, using either drug maintenance treatment or by boosting or prolonging an immune response. Immune system has a key role in tumor surveillance. Nonetheless, tumor-cells evade the specific T-lymphocyte mediated immune surveillance using many mechanisms but especially by the down-regulation of the expression of HLA class I antigens. In theory, these tumor-cells lacking normal expression of HLA class I molecules should be destroyed by natural killer (NK) cells, according to the missing-self hypothesis. NK cells, at the frontier of innate and adaptive immune system, have a central role in tumor-cells surveillance as demonstrated in the setting of allogenic stem cell transplantation. Nevertheless, tumors develop various mechanisms to escape from NK innate immune pressure. Abnormal NK cytolytic functions have been described in many HM. We present here various mechanisms involved in the escape of HM from NK-cell surveillance, i.e., NK-cells quantitative and qualitative abnormalities.
authors.affiliation: UMR1090 TAGC, INSERM , Marseille , France ; UMR1090 TAGC, Aix-Marseille Université , Marseille , France.
authors.forename: Céline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Baier
authors.affiliation: UMR1090 TAGC, INSERM , Marseille , France ; UMR1090 TAGC, Aix-Marseille Université , Marseille , France.
authors.forename: Aurore
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fino
authors.affiliation: UMR1090 TAGC, INSERM , Marseille , France.
authors.forename: Carole
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sanchez
authors.affiliation: UMR1090 TAGC, INSERM , Marseille , France ; Service d'hématologie, APHM, Hôpital de la Conception , Marseille , France.
authors.forename: Laure
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Farnault
authors.affiliation: UMR1090 TAGC, INSERM , Marseille , France ; UMR1090 TAGC, Aix-Marseille Université , Marseille , France.
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rihet
authors.affiliation: UMR1090 TAGC, INSERM , Marseille , France ; UMR1090 TAGC, Aix-Marseille Université , Marseille , France.
authors.forename: Brigitte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kahn-Perlès
authors.affiliation: UMR1090 TAGC, INSERM , Marseille , France ; UMR1090 TAGC, Aix-Marseille Université , Marseille , France ; Service d'hématologie, APHM, Hôpital de la Conception , Marseille , France.
authors.forename: Régis T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Costello
keywords: hematological malignancies; immune escape; immunotherapy; natural cytotoxicity receptors; natural killer cells