Cytokine-Induced Killer Cell Therapy

Cytokine-induced killer cell therapy uses immune cells cultured from a patient's own blood after exposure to cytokines such as interferon-gamma, anti-CD3 antibody, and interleukin-2, producing cells with a mixed T-cell and natural-killer-cell character. These cells can recognize and attack cancerous or infected cells without needing antibodies or major-histocompatibility-complex markers, a property useful against tumors that evade normal immune detection, and early studies combining them with interleukin-2 have reported tumor remission and extended survival with low toxicity, though the treatment remains confined to research settings rather than standard care.