Can natural killer cells clear tumour target cells?
This multidisciplinary translational research project is working to identify the role of natural killer (NK) cells and dendritic cells (DCs) in the pathogenesis of human autoimmune disorders. Achieving its objectives will help the development of innovative therapeutic approaches and more efficient diagnostic tools. And being able to improve classification of the stages of autoimmune disorders could lead to more effective use of immunosuppressive agents. The 'Role of innate immunity in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases' (Riispad) project divided its original experimental plan into two distinct projects. First, researchers are looking into how NK cells are implicated in autoimmune diseases, the aim being to analyse whether they have any role in the physiopathology of autoimmune disorders. Since there is evidence to associate some autoimmune diseases and the development of lymphomas, the project also intends to investigate the ability of NK cells to clear tumour target cells. In the first two years, Riispad received ethical approval from the Institutional Review Board. The team recruited patients, set up a clinical database, developed new experimental data and sought more financial support. In fact, the Italian Association for Cancer Research has awarded the Riispad project a three-year Investigator Grant. In the second project, researchers are examining NK cells and autoimmune arthritis. Their main aim is to identify novel NK cell biomarkers to enable early diagnosis and clinical follow-up as physicians are often hard-pressed to identify the nature of arthritis in its early stages. Project partners also looked for additional financial support for this study and have been awarded a two-year grant by the Intramural research Program of Istituto Clinico Humanitas.
