A model of the role of natural killer cells in immune surveillance — I

SummaryThe theory of immune surveillance of Thomas and Burnet stated in part that antigenic differences between neoplastic and normal cells provide the stimulus for their destruction by cells of the immune system. Burnet pointed to the T lymphocyte as the cell which mediated this surveillance. The existence of some form of surveillance in cases of no T lymphocyte functioning presents the possibility that surveillance, if present at all, is mediated by non T cells.Cells identified as naturally cytotoxic killer (NK) cells appear to have properties required of a surveillance effector population. This paper utilizes properties of NK cells and the effects of interferon on this population to construct a mathematical model of the characteristics that an NK cell surveillance would have. A two level theory of immune surveillance is proposed.

[1]  J. Roder,et al.  The beige mutation in the mouse. II. Selectivity of the natural killer (NK) cell defect. , 1979, Journal of immunology.

[2]  S. Merrill.  A mathematical model of tumor growth and cytotoxic blocking activity , 1979 .

[3]  P. Hochman,et al.  Do Natural Killer Cells Engage in Regulated Reactions Against Self to Ensure Homeostasis? , 1979, Immunological reviews.

[4]  Martin M. Eisen,et al.  Mathematical Models in Cell Biology and Cancer Chemotherapy , 1979 .

[5]  J. Ortaldo,et al.  Analysis by a single cell cytotoxicity assay of natural killer (NK) cells frequencies among human large granular lymphocytes and of the effects of interferon on their activity. , 1982, Journal of immunology.

[6]  J. Ortaldo,et al.  Characteristics of human large granular lymphocytes and relationship to natural killer and K cells , 1981, The Journal of experimental medicine.

[7]  K. Cantell,et al.  Natural killer cells are responsible for the interferon production induced in human lymphocytes by tumor cell contact , 1980 .

[8]  R. Welsh,et al.  Interferon-mediated protection of normal and tumor target cells against lysis by mouse natural killer cells. , 1981, Journal of immunology.

[9]  G. Klein,et al.  Immune surveillance against virus-induced tumors and nonrejectability of spontaneous tumors: contrasting consequences of host versus tumor evolution. , 1977, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

[10]  U. Hämmerling,et al.  Antigenic profile of murine natural killer cells. , 1980, Journal of immunology.

[11]  J. Roder,et al.  Promonocytes have the functional characteristics of natural killer cells. , 1979, Journal of immunology.

[12]  F. Burnet.  Immunological Surveillance in Neoplasia , 1971, Transplantation reviews.

[13]  H. Hewitt,et al.  A critique of the evidence for active host defence against cancer, based on personal studies of 27 murine tumours of spontaneous origin. , 1976, British Journal of Cancer.

[14]  D. Santoli,et al.  Mechanisms of Activation of Human Natural Killer Cells Against Tumor and Virus‐infected Cells , 1979, Immunological reviews.

[15]  O. Stutman.  Chemical carcinogenesis in nude mice: comparison between nude mice from homozygous matings and heterozygous matings and effect of age and carcinogen dose. , 1979, Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

[16]  P. Hartman.  Ordinary Differential Equations , 1965 .

[17]  R. Kiessling,et al.  An Analysis of the Murine NK Cell as to Structure, Function and Biological Relevance , 1979, Immunological reviews.

[18]  J. Rygaard,et al.  The Nude Mouse vs. The Hypothesis of Immunological Surveillance , 1976, Transplantation reviews.

[19]  G. Klein,et al.  Rejectability of virus-induced tumors and nonrejectability of spontaneous tumors: a lesson in contrasts. , 1977, Transplantation proceedings.

[20]  G. Shearer,et al.  Evidence for a similar or common mechanism for natural killer cell activity and resistance to hemopoietic grafts , 1977, European journal of immunology.

[21]  R. Asofsky,et al.  Effect of Antibody to 9 Antigen on Cell-Mediated Immunity Induced in Syngeneic Mice by Murine Sarcoma Virus , 1973 .

[22]  D. Naor.  Suppressor cells: permitters and promoters of malignancy? , 1979, Advances in cancer research.

[23]  Z. Grossman,et al.  Tumor escape from immune elimination. , 1980, Journal of theoretical biology.

[24]  R. Herberman,et al.  Natural cell-mediated immunity. , 1978, Advances in cancer research.

[25]  K. Cantell,et al.  Human Natural Killer Cell Activity is Augmented by Interferon via Recruitment of ‘Pre‐NK’ Cells , 1979, Scandinavian journal of immunology.

[26]  F. Burnet.  The concept of immunological surveillance. , 1970, Progress in experimental tumor research.

[27]  R. Herberman,et al.  Evaluation of a cell-mediated cytotoxicity assay utilizing 125 iododeoxyuridine-labeled tissue-culture target cells. , 1973, National Cancer Institute monograph.

[28]  J. Cronin.  Differential Equations: Introduction and Qualitative Theory , 1980 .

[29]  M BURNET,et al.  Cancer—A Biological Approach* , 1957, British medical journal.

[30]  E. Saksela,et al.  Morphological and Functional Characterization of Isolated Effector Cells Responsible for Human Natural Killer Activity to Fetal Fibroblasts and to Cultured Cell Line Targets , 1979, Immunological reviews.

[31]  M. Burnet.  Cancer—A Biological Approach , 1957, British medical journal.

[32]  C DeLisi,et al.  Immune surveillance and neoplasia. I. A minimal mathematical model. , 1977, Bulletin of mathematical biology.

[33]  R. Herberman.  Natural cell-mediated immunity against tumors , 1980 .

[34]  A. Albert,et al.  Tumors and the immune system: the effects of a tumor growth modulator☆ , 1980 .

[35]  I. Hellstrom,et al.  Lymphocyte-mediated cytotoxicity and blocking serum activity to tumor antigens. , 1974, Advances in immunology.

[36]  Herberman Rb.  Natural killer (NK) cells and their possible roles in resistance against disease. , 1981 .

[37]  Stephen J. Merrill,et al.  Foundations of the use of an enzyme-kinetic analogy in cell-mediated cytotoxicity☆ , 1982 .

[38]  R. Lefever,et al.  A kinetic approach to the immunology of cancer: stationary states properties of effector-target cell reactions. , 1978, Journal of theoretical biology.

[39]  C. Riccardi,et al.  Natural Killer Cells: Characteristics and Regulation of Activity , 1979, Immunological reviews.