Natural killer cell-directed therapies: Moving from unexpected results to successful strategies

Magali Terme, Evelyn Ullrich, Nicolas F. Delahaye, Nathalie Chaput, Laurence Zitvogel

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    247 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Natural killer (NK) cells influence innate and adaptive immune host defenses. Existing data indicate that manipulating the balance between inhibitory and activating NK receptor signals, the sensitivity of target cells to NK cell-mediated apoptosis, and NK cell cross-talk with dendritic cells might hold therapeutic promise. Efforts to modulate NK cell trafficking into inflamed tissues and/or lymph nodes, and to counteract NK cell suppressors, might also prove fruitful in the clinic. However, deeper investigation into the benefits of combination therapy, greater understanding of the functional distinctions between NK cell subsets, and design of new tools to monitor NK cell activity are needed to strengthen our ability to harness the power of NK cells for therapeutic aims.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)486-494
    Number of pages9
    JournalNature Immunology
    Volume9
    Issue number5
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 1 May 2008

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