This study investigated the role of Natural Killer (NK) cells in suppressing acute myeloid leukemia (AML) development. Rag2⁻/⁻ mice, lacking B and T lymphocytes but possessing hyperactive NK cells, exhibited slower AML progression than both immunodeficient NSG mice and immunocompetent C57BL/6 mice. NK cell depletion in Rag2⁻/⁻ mice accelerated AML, while B2m depletion (triggering NK cell activation) inhibited AML growth. The immunogenicity of AML changed during tumor evolution, with aggressive AML becoming more susceptible to NK cell-mediated suppression. This highlights the critical role of hyperactive NK cells in controlling specific AML subtypes.

Emi Sugimoto, Jingmei Li, Yasutaka Hayashi, Kohei Iida, Shuhei Asada, Tsuyoshi Fukushima, Moe Tamura, Shiori Shikata, Wenyu Zhang, Keita Yamamoto, Kimihito Cojin Kawabata, Tatsuya Kawase, Takeshi Saito, Taku Yoshizaki, Yuta Kaito, Yoichi Imai, Tamami Denda, Yasunori Ota, Tomofusa Fukuyama, Yosuke Tanaka, Yutaka Enomoto, Toshio Kitamura, Susumu Goyama