Suppressive Effect of a Standardized Mistletoe Extract on the Expression of Activatory NK Receptors and Function of Human NK Cells

Overview

Journal J Clin Immunol

Publisher Springer

Specialty Allergy & Immunology

Date 2007 May 29

PMID 17530391

Citations 3

Authors

Soo Jung Lee

Young-Ok Son

Hyunjin Kim

Joo-Young Kim

Soon-Won Park

Jae-Ho Bae

Hyung Hoi Kim

Eun-Yup Lee

Byung-Seon Chung

Sun-Hee Kim

Chi-Dug Kang

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Despite long-term use of mistletoe extracts for cancer treatment, their mode of action remains elusive. In this study, it was studied in vitro if mistletoe extract is able to modulate the expression of natural cytotoxic receptors (NCRs) and NKG2D receptor, which stimulate natural killer cell-mediated cytotoxicity. Unexpectedly, a mistletoe extract, ABNOBA viscum Fraxini, inhibited the expression level of NKp46 and NKG2D receptors in dose- and time-dependent manners. The levels of NKp30 and NKG2D receptors were remarkably induced and NKp44 was slightly induced after 48 h treatment with IL-2 and IL-15 in both mRNA and surface expression. The activatory NK receptors were not induced significantly after treatment with IL-12, IL-18, and IL-21 for 48 h. Induction of activatory NK receptors by IL-2 and IL-15 was suppressed almost to the untreated levels by treatment with mistletoe extract, which appeared to induce apoptosis of NK cells in a dose-dependent manner. However, the treatment with IL-2 and IL-15 did not prevent the mistletoe-induced NK-cell death. Mistletoe extract inhibited significantly the cytotoxic activity of resting and IL-2- or IL-15-stimulated NK cells. These results suggest that inhibition of survival and function of NK cells by mistletoe extract may curtail in part the therapeutic effects of mistletoe.

Citing Articles

Mistletoe-Extract Drugs Stimulate Anti-Cancer Vγ9Vδ2 T Cells.

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Schad F, Thronicke A, Steele M, Merkle A, Matthes B, Grah C PLoS One. 2018; 13(8):e0203058.

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Clinical safety of combined therapy of immune checkpoint inhibitors and Viscum album L. therapy in patients with advanced or metastatic cancer.

Thronicke A, Steele M, Grah C, Matthes B, Schad F BMC Complement Altern Med. 2017; 17(1):534.

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