J Clin Invest. 2022 Jun 1;132(11). doi: 10.1172/JCI160584.
Since researchers first began to uncover the mechanisms underlying allogeneic transplantation, the focus has been on T cells. T cells are a major instigator of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). The clear association between GVHD occurrence and subsequent reduction in relapse supported concentrating on T cells as the masterminds behind graft-versus-tumor (GVT) effects. Recently, an alternative mediator of GVT has taken center stage: natural killer (NK) cells. Part of the appeal of NK cells is their potential to provide antitumor immunity without GVHD. Donor lymphocyte infusion has been the predominant treatment of relapse after allogeneic transplant, but the mix of lymphocytes includes CD8+ T cells and, consequently, a substantial risk for GVHD. In this issue of the JCI, Shapiro and colleagues developed an adoptive NK cell transfer platform to treat relapse after haploidentical allogeneic transplant. The study demonstrated safety, sought to determine resistance mechanisms, and provided avenues for future research.
自从研究人员首次开始揭示同种异体移植背后的机制以来，他们的关注点一直集中在 T 细胞上。T 细胞是移植物抗宿主病 (GVHD) 的主要引发因素。GVHD 的发生与随后复发率降低之间的明确关联支持将 T 细胞作为移植物抗肿瘤 (GVT) 效应背后的主谋。最近，一种 GVT 的替代介质成为了焦点：自然杀伤 (NK) 细胞。NK 细胞的吸引力之一在于它们有可能在不引起 GVHD 的情况下提供抗肿瘤免疫力。供者淋巴细胞输注一直是同种异体移植后复发的主要治疗方法，但淋巴细胞混合物中包括 CD8+T 细胞，因此存在相当大的 GVHD 风险。在本期 JCI 中，Shapiro 及其同事开发了一种过继性 NK 细胞转移平台，用于治疗单倍体相合同种异体移植后的复发。该研究证明了其安全性，试图确定耐药机制，并为未来的研究提供了途径。
