Cytokine-induced killer cells are terminallydifferentiated activated CD8 cytotoxic T-EMRA lymphocytes

The CIK phenotype, that is CD45RA+, CCR7−, CD62L−weakly positive, CD11a+, CD27+, CD28−, macrophage inflammatory protein 1α+, perforin+, Fas ligand+ coincides almost exactly with that described for the T RA+ effector memory CD27 single positive subset of terminally differentiated human memory T cells.