abstract |
The present invention is based on the surprising finding that adenosine A3 receptor agonist (A3RAg) activates natural killer (NK) cells. This activation was abolished in the presence of the adenosine A3 receptor antagonist. One example of A3RAg exhibiting this novel effect is C1-IB-MECA. Thus, the present invention relates to the use of A3RAgs for the preparation of a pharmaceutical composition having a therapeutic effect, said therapeutic effect comprising activation of NK cells. Furthermore, the present invention relates to therapeutic methods and pharmaceutical compositions for achieving a therapeutic effect. |