Administration of haploidentical donor natural killer (NK) cells, rituximab, and IL-2 to patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) has been shown to be safe, but the objective response rate was low, suggesting that further strategies to improve NK cell engraftment and function are needed. Here, Cichocki and colleagues showed that supplementation with nicotinamide during ex vivo NK cell culture led to up-regulation of the lymphocyte homing molecule CD26L, leading to improved persistence and antitumor functions. In a phase 1 trial of nicotinamide-expanded allogeneic NK cells, monoclonal antibodies, and IL2, 11 of 19 patients with NHL demonstrated complete response, suggesting that supplementation with nicotinamide during ex vivo NK cell culture should be further investigated for the treatment of NHL
2 Medical News 