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Updated: Jun 22, 2026
Isolation and Expansion of Cytotoxic Cytokine-induced Killer T Cells for Cancer Treatment
Published on: January 24, 2020
Antitumor activity of cytokine-induced killer cells in nude mouse xenograft model
Hwan Mook Kim1, Jong Soon Kang, Jaeseung Lim
1Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Ochang, Chungbuk, 363-883, Korea.
Abstract:
Malignant glioma is the most common primary brain tumor in adults and the median survival for patients is less than a year. Despite aggressive treatments including surgical resection, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, only modest improvement has been achieved in the survival of patients with glioma. In this study, the antitumor activity of cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells against human glioma cancer was evaluated in vitro and in vivo. Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells were cultured with IL-2-containing medium in anti-CD3 antibody-coated flasks for 5 days, followed by incubation in IL-2-containing medium for 9 days. The number of cells increased more than 200-fold and the viability was >90%. The resulting populations were consisted of 96% CD3(+), 2% CD3(-)CD56(+), 68% CD3(+)CD56(+), 2% CD4(+), <1% CD4(+)CD56(+), 80% CD8(+), and 49% CD8(+)CD56(+). This heterogeneous cell population was called as CIK cells. At an effector-target cell ratio of 30:1, CIK cells destroyed 43% of U-87 MG human glioma cells, as measured by the (51)Cr-release assay. In addition, CIK cells at doses of 0.3, 1, and 3 million cells per mouse inhibited 23%, 40%, and 50% of U-87 MG tumor growth in nude mouse xenograft assays, respectively. This study suggests that CIK cells may be used as an adoptive immunotherapy for glioma cancer patients.
Insights
Cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells show significant antitumor activity against human glioma. This adoptive immunotherapy approach demonstrated potent in vitro and in vivo efficacy, offering a promising new avenue for glioma treatment.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Oncology
- Cancer Research
Background:
- Malignant glioma is a common adult brain tumor with poor prognosis.
- Current treatments offer limited survival benefits for glioma patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the antitumor efficacy of cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells against human glioma.
- To assess CIK cell activity both in vitro and in vivo.
Main Methods:
- Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells were cultured to generate CIK cells.
- In vitro cytotoxicity was measured using the 51Cr-release assay against U-87 MG cells.
- In vivo efficacy was assessed in nude mouse xenograft models.
Main Results:
- CIK cell expansion resulted in a >200-fold increase with >90% viability.
- CIK cells effectively killed 43% of U-87 MG glioma cells in vitro.
- In vivo, CIK cell administration inhibited tumor growth by 23-50% depending on the dose.
Conclusions:
- CIK cells exhibit significant cytotoxic activity against human glioma cells.
- Adoptive immunotherapy with CIK cells demonstrates potential for treating glioma.
- Further investigation into CIK cell therapy for glioma is warranted.
