haploidentical natural killer cells (Technische Universität Dresden)

Haploidentical natural killer (NK) cells are an investigational adoptive cell therapy developed by Technische Universität Dresden for the treatment of high-risk acute myeloid leukemia (AML), particularly in elderly patients who are ineligible for standard allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The therapy consists of highly purified CD56+CD3- NK cells harvested from haploidentical donors selected based on killer immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR) ligand mismatch with the recipient. This mismatch exploits the 'missing self' hypothesis, where the absence of inhibitory signals from recipient HLA molecules allows donor NK cells to recognize and lyse leukemic blasts. The clinical protocol typically involves lymphodepleting conditioning with fludarabine and cyclophosphamide, followed by NK cell infusion and subsequent administration of interleukin-2 (IL-2) to enhance NK cell persistence and expansion in vivo.

Other names

haploidentical NK cellsCD56+CD3- natural killer cellsadoptive NK cell immunotherapyNK cells-Technische Universität Dresden-acute myeloid leukemia