Abstract
The lymphokine interleukin-2 (IL-2; also termed T-cell growth factor) causes the proliferation of activated T-cell clones1,2. Effector T-cell lines exhibiting suppressor, helper and cytotoxic activities have been established by growth of appropriately stimulated cells in IL-2-containing medium3,4. In addition, IL-2 has been shown to provide requisite T-cell ‘help’ in a number of in vitro immune response assays, including the generation of cytotoxic T cells from thymocyte (and nude spleen cell) cultures5 and the induction of erythrocyte-specific antibody in T cell-deficient populations6. We report here a further activity of IL-2, one previously attributed solely to interferon—the ability to augment the cytotoxic activity of natural killer (NK) cells. This conclusion was reached from the observation that preparations of IL-2, which lacked interferon, caused a rapid increase in NK cell activity. This ability to augment cytotoxity was removed from IL-2 preparations, not only by absorption with IL-2 receptor bearing cells, but also by precipitation with a monoclonal antibody directed against IL-2.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Gillis, S. & Smith, K. A. Nature 268, 154 (1977).
Nabholz, M., Engers, H., Collavo, D. & North, M. Curr. Topics Microbiol. Immun. 81, 176 (1978).
Gillis, S., Baker, P. E., Ruscetti, F. W. & Smith, K. A. J. exp. Med. 148, 1093 (1978).
Watson, J. J. exp. Med. 150, 1510 (1979).
Gillis, S., Smith, K. A. & Watson, J. D. J. Immun. 124, 1954 (1980).
Watson, J., Aarden, L. & Lefkovitz, I. J. Immun. 122, 209 (1979).
Herberman, R. B., Nunn, M. E. & Lavrin, D. H. Int. J. Cancer 16, 216 (1975).
Gillis, S., Ferm, M. M., Ou, W. & Smith, K. A. J. Immun. 120, 2027 (1978).
Tracey, D. E., Wolfe, S. A., Durdik, J. M. & Henney, C. S. J. Immun. 119, 1145 (1977).
Gidlund, M., Orn, A., Wigzell, H., Senik, A. & Gresser, I. Nature 273, 759 (1978).
Djeu, J. Y., Heinbaugh, J. A., Holden, H. T. & Herberman, R. B. J. Immun. 122, 175 (1979).
Kirchner, H., Zawatszky, R. & Schirrmacher, V. Eur. J. Immun. 9, 97 (1979).
Watson, J., Mochizuki, D. M., Frank, M. B. & Gillis, S. in Pharmacology of the Reticulo-endothelial System (ed. Webb, D.) (Dekker, New York, in the press).
Watson, J., Gillis, S., Marbrook, J., Mochizuki, D. & Smith, K. A. J. exp. Med. 150, 849 (1979).
Hirsch, M. S., Proffitt, M. R. & Black, P. H. Contemporary Topics Immunobiol. 6, 209 (1977).
Smith, K. A., Gillis, S., Ruscetti, F., Baker, P. E. & McKenzie, D. Proc. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 332, 423 (1979).
Baker, P., Gillis, S. & Smith, K. A. J. exp. Med. 149, 273 (1979).
Gillis, S. & Henney, C. S. J. Immun. (in the press).
Kohler, G. & Milstein, C. Nature 256, 495 (1975).
Durdik, J. M., Beck, B. N., Clark, E. A. & Henney, C. S. J. Immun. 125, 683 (1980).
Young, W. W., Hakomori, S., Durdik, J. M. & Henney, C. S. J. Immun. 124, 199 (1980).
Ledbetter, J. & Nowinski, R. C. J. Virol. 23, 315 (1977).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Henney, C., Kuribayashi, K., Kern, D. et al. Interleukin-2 augments natural killer cell activity. Nature 291, 335–338 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1038/291335a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/291335a0
- Springer Nature Limited
This article is cited by
-
Exploring pathway interactions to detect molecular mechanisms of disease: 22q11.2 deletion syndrome
Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases (2023)
-
Primary CD33-targeting CAR-NK cells for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia
Blood Cancer Journal (2022)
-
Role of IL-24 in NK cell activation and its clinical implication in systemic lupus erythematosus
Clinical Rheumatology (2021)
-
Functional and metabolic targeting of natural killer cells to solid tumors
Cellular Oncology (2020)
-
IL-27 enhances IL-15/IL-18-mediated activation of human natural killer cells
Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer (2019)