CIML NK cells + interleukin-2

CIML NK cells + interleukin-2 is a combination cellular immunotherapy being developed by the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute for the treatment of myeloid malignancies. The therapy consists of donor-derived natural killer (NK) cells that are activated ex vivo with a cocktail of cytokines (IL-12, IL-15, and IL-18) to induce a 'memory-like' phenotype characterized by enhanced proliferation, longevity, and potent effector function against tumor cells. Following lymphodepleting chemotherapy and infusion of these cytokine-induced memory-like (CIML) NK cells, patients receive low-dose subcutaneous interleukin-2 (IL-2) to support the expansion and persistence of the cells in vivo. This approach is primarily investigated as a pre-emptive treatment to eradicate measurable residual disease and prevent relapse in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), or MDS/MPN overlap syndromes following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Other names

Cytokine-induced memory-like natural killer cellsIL-12/15/18-preactivated NK cellsCIML NK cell therapy