ABSTRACT
The antitumor activity of NK cells can be further facilitated by various biological molecules, the most potent of which are interferons and interleukin-2. Since the latter population may represent the "leukemic stem cells" that may be responsible for expansion of leukemia in vivo, NK cells may play an important role in the retardation of leukemia growth. In addition to anticancer defense, NK cells appear to play a role in antimicrobial resistance in vivo. All the observations, taken together, suggested that IL-2-activated lymphocytes may be of benefit in the treatment of leukemia. The adoptive therapy of cancer patients with IL-2-activated lymphocytes, designated Lymphokine-activated killer, triggered relatively recently the focused interest of oncologists. Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes residing within malignant melanoma may represent an exception to those detected in other tumors since they appear to exhibit more specific antitumor responses related to T cell function.
