Natural killer cells and acute myeloid leukemia: promises and challenges

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is considered as one of the most malignant conditions of the bone marrow. Over the past few decades, despite substantial progresses in the management of AML, relapse remission remains a major problem. Natural killer cells (NK cells) are known as a unique component of the innate immune system. Due to swift tumor detection, distinct cytotoxic action, and extensive immune interaction, NK cells have been used in various cancer settings for decades. It has been a growing knowledge of therapeutic magnitudes ranging from adoptive NK cell transfer to chimeric antigen receptor NK cells, aiming to achieve better therapeutic responses in patients with AML. In this article, the potentials of NK cells for treatment of AML are highlighted, and challenges for such therapeutic methods are discussed. In addition, the clinical application of NK cells, mainly in patients with AML, is pictured according to the existing evidence.