Shivani Srivastava, David Pelloso, Hailin Feng, Larry Voiles, David Lewis, Zdenka Haskova, Margaret Whitacre, Stephen Trulli, Yi-Jiun Chen, John Toso, Zdenka L Jonak, Hua-Chen Chang, Michael J Robertson
The antitumor activity of monoclonal antibodies is mediated by effector cells, such as natural killer (NK) cells, that express Fc receptors for immunoglobulin. Efficacy of monoclonal antibodies, including the CD20 antibody rituximab, could be improved by agents that augment the function of NK cells. Interleukin (IL)-18 is an immunostimulatory cytokine that has antitumor activity in preclinical models. The effects of IL-18 on NK cell function mediated through Fcγ receptors were examined. Human NK cells stimulated with immobilized IgG in vitro secreted IFN-γ as expected; such IFN-γ production was partially inhibited by blocking CD16 with monoclonal antibodies...
June 2013: Cancer Immunology, Immunotherapy: CII