il-15 activated cytokine induced killer cells

IL-15 activated cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells are an investigational adoptive cell therapy being developed for the treatment of hematologic malignancies, particularly relapsed acute leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). CIK cells are a unique population of immune effector cells, primarily characterized by a CD3+CD56+ T-NK phenotype, which are expanded ex vivo from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). The manufacturing process involves a sequential stimulation protocol using interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), anti-CD3 monoclonal antibodies (e.g., OKT-3), and interleukin-2 (IL-2), with the critical addition of interleukin-15 (IL-15) to enhance cytotoxicity, proliferative capacity, and in vivo survival. These cells exhibit potent, non-MHC-restricted anti-tumor activity mediated largely through the NKG2D receptor, which recognizes stress-induced ligands (such as MICA/B and ULBPs) on leukemic cells. A significant clinical advantage of CIK cells is their ability to provide a robust graft-versus-leukemia (GvL) effect with a lower risk of inducing graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) compared to conventional donor lymphocyte infusions (DLI).

Other names

IL-15 activated CIK cellsIL15 activated CIK cellsIL 15 activated CIK cellsIL-15 CIK cellsIL15 CIK cellsIL 15 CIK cellscytokine-induced killer cellsIL-15-activated cytokine-induced killer cellsIL15-activated cytokine-induced killer cellsIL 15-activated cytokine-induced killer cells