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Title: Mechanism of suppression of normal hemopoietic activity by lymphokine-activated killer cells and their products

Journal Article · · Experimental Hematology (Lawrence, Kansas); (United States)
OSTI ID:5996038
; ; ; ;  [1]
  1. Department of Cellular and Molecular Sciences, St. George's Hospital Medical School, London (England)

Interleukin 2 (IL-2)-activated lymphocytes (lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells) have been shown to inhibit the formation of autologous human granulocyte-macrophage hemopoietic progenitors (granulocyte-macrophage colony-forming units, CFU-GM) in vitro. Effects of LAK cells on these progenitors may include a number of different mechanisms. LAK cells are potent cytotoxic lymphocytes capable of lysing certain normal autologous cells. They also produce cytokines known to inhibit hemopoiesis (interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha)) or enhance it (granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, GM-CSF). In the authors' current study they analyzed the mechanism of suppression of autologous CFU-GM by LAK cells. Their results suggest that LAK cells are not directly cytotoxic to normal CFU-GM. They show that it is possible to abolish the hemopoiesis-inhibiting activity of LAK cells without abrogating their cytotoxicity against tumor cell lines using inhibitors of DNA synthesis, namely hydroxyurea or irradiation.

OSTI ID:
5996038
Journal Information:
Experimental Hematology (Lawrence, Kansas); (United States), Vol. 19:7; ISSN 0301-472X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English