Activating natural killer cells by treatment with dendritic cells or their products, for increasing the immune response in e.g. cancer and infections

摘要

Activating natural killer cells (NKC) comprises treatment, in vivo or in vitro, with dendritic cells (DC) or with a product derived from DC. Independent claims are also included for the following: (a) co-culture of DC and NKC; (b) composition containing NKC (activated or resting) and autologous DC; (c) composition containing NKC activated by the new method; (d) composition containing a factor (I) derived from DC that can stimulate NKC; (e) composition containing a compound (II) that interferes with interaction between NKC and DC; (f) treatment of DC with a triggering agent to improve (or induce) capacity to stimulate NKC; (g) composition containing at least one triggering compound (II) for DC and a growth factor (IV) for DC, for simultaneous, sequential or temporally staged use; (h) composition containing triggered DC, preferably human; (i) triggering medium for DC containing cells of the extracellualr matrix, or a derived preparation or factor; (j) method for identifying or producing a factor (Ia) that stimulates NKC; and (k) method for identifying a compound (IIa) that inhibits activation of NKC.