The Role of Granulysin in Cancer Immunology

Granulysin is a cytotoxic granule expressed in cytotoxic T cells and natural killer cells. Although its cytotoxic effect against a number of tumor cell lines has been demonstrated in vitro, recent studies with transgenic mice, and a number of clinical studies, have further established its significance in cancer immunology. Furthermore, granulysin-induced in vitro chemotaxis and activation of both human and mouse dendritic cells have been reported. Given the results in recent clinical studies, granulysin may offer a useful indicator in the prognosis of cancer. Taken together, an understanding of the mechanism by which granulysin destroys target cells would provide vital information in the development of new therapies for the treatment of this disease.