NK Cell (Natural Killer Cell)

What is NK cell therapy?

A cell therapy that harnesses one of the body's rarest immune cells – the natural killer cell – could transform the treatment of blood cancers and other diseases.

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What is NK cell?

Natural killer cells (NK cells) are cytotoxic lymphocytes that are a major component of the innate immune system and represent the first line of defense against the virus-infected and malignantly transformed cells. While in the same family as T cells and B cells, NK cells have the unique ability to kill tumor cells and virally infected cells without any prior activation by antigen presenting cells. Thus, NK cell therapy can be an appropriate complemental therapy in treatment of tumors that escape cytotoxic T cells therapy. Additionally, NK cells also produce a wide variety of cytokines that can modulate the function of other innate and adaptive immune cells. 
NK cells are closely related to cancer development.The number of NK cells in the cancer tissues has been shown to be lower than normal, and this contributes to the growth of cancer cells.

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What is the different between T cells and NK cells?
The differences between T cells and NK cells reflect their very different roles in the immune system's response to disease. NK cells are part of the innate immune system, which handles diseases and infections the body hasn't encountered before. Because they don't rely on a small subset of cells that "remember" previous infections and must proliferate in order to quell new infections, NK cells are ready to attack at a moment's notice. (In this regard, NK cells' refusal to proliferate is a major asset: They essentially sacrifice numbers for speed.) T cells, by contrast, are part of the adaptive immune system. They learn from experience. When they defeat an infectious agent, such as a specific type of bacteria or virus, they're equipped to recognize and battle that agent whenever it returns to the body.

 

What are the advantages of natural killer cell therapy?
There are many benefits to NK cell therapy.
• NK cells don’t need to be genetically engineered to recognize cancer cells. This means that they are often faster to prepare. It only takes 24 hours to get them ready to infuse into the patient.
• NK cells are a treatment option for chemotherapy-resistant acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

• Compared to other forms of cancer treatment, such as chemotherapy, radiation, and even other immunotherapies, NK cell therapy does not cause many side effects. Patients tend to tolerate it well.
• Reduced risk of cell therapy failure due to antigen escape. NK cells act by several mechanisms besides antigen specific CAR targeting. Their redirected cell lysis and antibody-directed cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) functions serve as antigen-independent means to kill mutant target tumor cells.
• Improved scalability and speed of therapy delivery. NK cells are amenable to developing allogeneic therapies based on universal cell banks. These banks can supply therapeutic cells much more rapidly than autologous processes which require patient cells to produce each treatment.

• The patient receives a thorough health check up by a professional and experienced doctor for the preparation of treatment plan
• A 50 cc sample of blood from the patient will be drawn to check the amount of NK cells (NK Count) and the performance of NK cells (NK Activity) 
• NK Cells culture in a sterile laboratory (Clean Room Class 100) to increase the NK Count and NK Activity. The time used for cell culturing is between 14–21 days. NK Cells are then most effective for transplantation in patients.
• The NK cells will be injected back to the body via the bloodstream. The duration of transplant is 1hour and it is required to observe for symptoms approximately 30 minutes after transplantation. After the transplant, patients return home to rest
• follow-up evaluation.

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What is the causes of weak immune system

Lack of Sleep: Lack of sleep is associated with a suppressed immune response, as disease-fighting antibodies and cells are reduced in sleep-deprived individuals, leading to a higher risk of illness. Aim to get 6-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep per night.

Stress and Anxiety: When we are stressed or anxious, the immune system takes a hit – the stress hormone cortisol suppresses the effectiveness of the immune system by lowering the number of lymphocytes, or white blood cells which fight germs and viruses. 

Drinking Alcohol Too Much: Binge drinking, or consuming many alcoholic drinks in one sitting, can inhibit the function of white blood cells and lower your resistance to infection. 
Smoking: Cigarettes smoke can constrict your blood vessels, meaning that wounds take longer to heal, thereby increasing the risk of infection, and also suppresses antibodies and cells that fight disease in the body.

Unhealthy Diet: The body needs a variety of vitamins and nutrients to function as it should, and it gets these from food. A diet of high-fat junk foods, or food with a low nutritional value, can cause weight gain and it can leave you more prone to infections.

Lack of Exercise: Studies have shown that people who regularly take exercise have better white blood cell function than those who do not. Regular exercise also helps to reduce stress and can help you sleep better.

Dehydration: It is important to avoid becoming dehydrated, as water plays a vital role in nearly every bodily process, and being dehydrated for a long time can cause all kinds of health problems.