Developed into cancer fighting therapies, natural killer cells also have antiviral properties that could work against COVID-19.
A part of the immune system that appears to be suppressed in severe COVID-19 cases is now being used in a clinical trial against the infectious disease at the University of Minnesota.
A female COVID-19 patient in her 50s received an infusion on Wednesday with an experimental therapy containing natural killer (NK) cells, innate components of the immune system that can wipe out tumors or infected cells.
“They attack sick cells, and when we say sick that typically means malignant or virally infected cells,” said Dr. Joshua Rhein, the U physician leading the trial. Continue reading.