nk cells + il-2

This therapy is a combination of natural killer (NK) cell adoptive transfer and interleukin-2 (IL-2) administration. NK cells are cytotoxic lymphocytes that play a key role in the innate immune response, particularly in targeting tumor and virally infected cells. IL-2 is a cytokine that stimulates the proliferation, activation, and survival of NK cells as well as T lymphocytes. In this combination approach, NK cells—often expanded ex vivo—are infused into patients alongside systemic or local administration of IL-2 to enhance their antitumor activity. The mechanism involves both direct cytotoxicity by NK cells against cancer targets and immunomodulation via upregulation of activating receptors such as NKp30, NKG2D, and others on the surface of CD56 bright NK cell subsets[3][5]. This strategy has been investigated primarily for hematological malignancies (such as acute myeloid leukemia) and solid tumors in clinical trials[3][6]. The addition of IL-2 supports expansion, activation, receptor expression modulation, and increased cytolytic function specifically in CD56 bright NK cell populations[5], which are otherwise less responsive to tumors but become highly cytotoxic upon stimulation.

Brand names

Proleukin

Other names

natural killer cells + interleukin-2NK cell therapy with IL-2adoptive NK cell transfer plus IL-2