Donor lymphocyte-mediated tumor cell cytotoxicity (null)

Donor lymphocyte-mediated tumor cell cytotoxicity is not a discrete molecular target, receptor, or protein but describes an immune response process wherein donor lymphocytes (primarily T cells and sometimes NK cells or cytokine-induced killer cells) recognize and kill malignant cells in the host, usually following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). This phenomenon underpins the clinical graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) or graft-versus-tumor (GVT) effect, which is therapeutically exploited by donor lymphocyte infusion (DLI) to treat or prevent relapse of hematologic malignancies post-transplant. The mechanisms are mainly mediated by donor cytotoxic T cells and may involve both the perforin/granzyme pathway and the Fas ligand pathway to induce apoptosis of recipient/tumor cells[1][3][5]. Donor NK cells and cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells can also contribute. DLI, as an immunotherapy, has demonstrated the ability to induce remissions, but it carries major risks including graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and immune escape due to loss or downregulation of tumor HLA molecules[5][3][6]. The efficacy and safety of this approach are the focus of ongoing clinical and translational research, but "donor lymphocyte-mediated tumor cell cytotoxicity" itself is best understood as a therapeutic mechanism or process, rather than a single molecular entity. Note: This entry is flagged as "incorrect" in terms of target identification, as it represents a process or mechanism rather than a defined molecular target suitable for drug interaction studies or target-based drug discovery.

Other names

Donor lymphocyte cytotoxicityDonor lymphocyte infusion-mediated cytotoxicityGraft-versus-tumor effectGraft-versus-leukemia effect

Induction of cytotoxicity via perforin/granzyme pathway; Induction of cytotoxicity via Fas ligand pathway; T cell activation and effector function; NK cell activation; Cytokine-mediated enhancement of immune response