CYTOTOXICITY OF CYTOKINE-INDUCED KILLER-CELLS COATED WITH BISPECIFIC ANTIBODY AGAINST ACUTE MYELOID-LEUKEMIA CELLS

Various types of cytokines have been used in in vitro experiments to g enerate cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells that are reactive to patie nt acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells. Of these CIK cells, interleukin -2 (IL-2)-activated peripheral blood mononuclear cells, i.e., lymphoki ne-activated killer (LAK) cells, with the initial addition of the anti -CD3 monoclonal antibody (T3 LAK cells), are the most potent cytotoxic lymphocytes, and have marked proliferative capacity. The cytotoxicity of such T3 LAK cells against CD13+ AML cells is further enhanced by t he addition of anti-CD3 x anti-CD13 bispecific antibody (BsAb) during the cytotoxicity assay. The combined use of T3 LAK cells and the BsAb can be used for ex vivo purging of CD13+ AML cells in autologous bone marrow transplantation. Other cytokines, such as IL-7 or IL-7 in combi nation with IL-2, or newly identified cytokines, will also be tested i n attempts to obtain more specific and more potent effector cells. Stu dies of methods to increase the susceptibility of AML cells to CIK are also required.