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NK (Natural Killer) Cell Leukemia
Aggressive NK-cell leukemia (ANKL) is a lymphoid leukemia that is a deficiency NK cells. Not very much is known about this disease due to its rarity, but it is highly aggressive. Most patients will die within 2 years.

Diagnosis
The requirements for diagnosing ANKL are as follows :
 * 1) Immature-looking NK cells
 * 2) Certain immunophenotypes
 * 3) Germline configuration genes: TCR-β and IgH
 * 4) Restricted cytotoxicity

Treatment and Therapy
There currently is no specific treatment that works for ANKL. Most patients will die 6 months after diagnosis.

Flow Cytometry
Flow cytometry is a diagnostic tool in order to count/visualize the amount of lymphatic cells in the body. T cells, B cells and NK cells are nearly impossible to distinguish under a microscope, therefore one must use a flow cytometer to distinguish them.

NK Cell Therapy
Natural killer (NK) cell therapy is used in pediatrics for children with relapsed lymphoid leukemia. These patients normally have a resistance to chemotherapy, therefore, in order to continue on, must receive some kind of therapy. In some cases, NK cell therapy is a choice.

NK cells are known for their ability to eradicate tumor cells without any prior sensitization to them. One problem when using NK cells in order to fight off lymphoid leukemia is the fact that it is hard to amount enough of them to be effective. One can receive donations of NK cells from parents or relatives through bone marrow transplants. There are also the issues of cost, purity and safety. Unfortunately,there is always the possibility of Graft vs host disease while transplanting bone marrow.

NK cell therapy is a possible treatment for many different cancers such as Malignant glioma.