donor liver-derived activated natural killer cells

Donor liver-derived activated natural killer (NK) cells are an adoptive cell therapy developed primarily by researchers at Hiroshima University for use in liver transplant recipients. These cells are isolated from the donor liver perfusate, which contains a high concentration of passenger leukocytes, including NK cells. Following isolation, the cells are activated and expanded ex vivo using Interleukin-2 (IL-2) before being infused into the recipient post-transplantation. The therapy is designed to induce immune tolerance by eliminating recipient-derived alloreactive T cells (a phenomenon known as the veto effect) and to provide immunological surveillance against the recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) or viral infections such as Hepatitis C (HCV). This approach aims to reduce the necessity for long-term systemic immunosuppression and improve long-term graft and patient survival.

Other names

donor liver-derived NK cellsactivated donor liver-derived NK cellsliver-derived NK cells