Full Professor Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
Abstract Text: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) represents the most common pediatric cancer worldwide. NK cells along other lymphocytes including innate lymphocytes cells (ILCs) have important functions in recognizing and eliminating malignant cells. As consequence, NK cells are crucial for developing novel therapeutical treatments of various cancers including leukemia. Members of the Signaling Lymphocyte Activation Molecule (SLAM) family are surface molecules expressed in hematopoietic cells where they regulate distinct cell responses. An altered expression and/or function of these receptors may be involved in the etiology of several diseases. Here we describe that the overall expression of members of the SLAM family is altered in leukemia cells form pediatric patients. In addition, the solely expression of a single type of a SLAM receptor in leukemia target cells was sufficient to enhance the release of cytotoxic granules content in primary NK cells. Moreover, coating the leukemia cell surface with specific engagers containing recombinant SLAM family receptors (SFR) was sufficient to enhance NK cell degranulation and unleash the cytotoxic competence of primary NK cell from ALL patients. Finally, NK effector responses promoted by SLAM receptors engagement were dependent on the capability to recruit PLC-. These results suggest that SFR are an important resource for the treatment of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
