Human natural killer (NK) cells are major players in innate immune response. The functions of these cells as a scavenger of cancer cells are enhanced by cytokines such as interleukin-2 (IL-2), which play an important role in immune response in both tumors and virally infected cells. Liver cancer has a high incidence rate and is a major cause of death in Korea. We provide evidence that human NK cells inhibit tumor growth of the hepatocellular carcinoma cell line SNU-354. NK cells were cultured with human IL-2 for 14 days, yielding an enriched NK cell population containing 35% CD8+ cells, 6% CD4+ cells, and 51% CD16+ /CD56+ cells. Intravenous injection of NK cells at doses from 2.5 to 10 million cells/mouse was administered once per week in a nude mouse model that retains human liver tumor induced by implantation of SNU-354 cells. The results showed that human NK cells were recruited within tumor tissue and inhibited SNU-354 tumor growth by 32%, 58%, and 65%. The current data suggest the potential for use of NK cell-based immunotherapy for treatment of human liver cancer.

• Sukgil Song(College of Pharmacy, Medical Research Center, Chungbuk National University) Corresponding author
• Ji-sung Park(College of Pharmacy, Medical Research Center, Chungbuk National University)
• Hyeran Sung(Department of Comprehensive Melanoma Research Center (CMRC), H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute)
• Il-Hoi Kim(College of Pharmacy Chungbuk National University)
• Chong-Kil Lee(College of Pharmacy Chungbuk National University)
• Jin Tae Hong(College of Pharmacy, Medical Research Center, Chungbuk National University)