Cell therapy: achievements and perspectives.

Abstract

The opportuneness of using LAK cells or activated natural killer (NK) cells in hematologic patients with low tumor burden (e.g. after stem cell transplantation) should be further explored. Moreover the role of new cytokines in enhancing the antineoplastic activity of NK cells and the infusion of selected NK in alternative to CTL for graft versus leukemia (GVL) disease (avoiding graft versus host disease (GvHD) seems very promising. Separation of GVL from GvHD through generation and infusion of leukemia-specific T-cell clones or lines is one of the most intriguing and promising fields of investigations for the future. Likewise, strategies devised to improve immune-reconstitution and restore specific anti-infectious functions through either induction of unresponsiveness to recipient alloantigens or removal of alloreactive donor T-cells might increase the applicability and success of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED)