autologous activated and expanded natural killer cells

Autologous activated and expanded natural killer cells is an investigational cell therapy developed by the Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre for the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). The therapy consists of natural killer (NK) cells derived from the patient's own peripheral blood mononuclear cells. These cells undergo T-cell depletion and are subsequently expanded ex vivo through co-culture with K562 artificial antigen-presenting cells modified to express membrane-bound interleukin-21 (mbIL-21). This process is designed to enhance the anti-leukemic activity of the NK cells. The therapy is currently being evaluated in Phase I/II clinical trials as an adjuvant treatment for CML patients who are refractory to tyrosine kinase inhibitors or are candidates for allogeneic bone marrow transplantation, with studies indicating its ability to suppress BCR-ABL gene expression.

Other names

Autologous NK Cells in Chronic Myeloid LeukemiaChronic Myeloid Leukemia + NK cell