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Abdalgani M, Hernandez ER, Pedroza LA, Chinn IK, Forbes Satter LR, Rider NL, Banerjee PP, Poli MC, Mahapatra S, Canter D, Cao T, Shawver LM, Nandiwada SL, Lupski JR, Posey JE, Ramakrishnan R, Mace EM, Orange JS. Clinical, immunologic, and genetic characteristics of 148 patients with natural killer cell deficiency. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2025; 155:1623-1634. [PMID: 39914554 PMCID: PMC12058391 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2025.01.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2024] [Revised: 01/01/2025] [Accepted: 01/23/2025] [Indexed: 05/09/2025]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Natural killer (NK) cell deficiency (NKD) is an immunodeficiency phenotype in which abnormality of NK cells is the major clinically relevant immune defect. OBJECTIVE We sought to define the clinical, immunologic, and genetic characteristics of patients with NKD to aid in the understanding of these individuals and this cell type and guide future research and clinical practice. METHODS During 2006-2022, 168 individuals with a suspected diagnosis of NKD were enrolled, with comprehensive clinical, immunologic, and genetic data collected and analyzed. Research exome sequencing was performed to identify both known and novel genetic associations. RESULTS NK cell abnormalities consistent with NKD were confirmed in 148 participants. Most presented during childhood (median age 13 years, range 0-76 years), though 34% were adults. All tested individuals exhibited reduced NK cell cytotoxic function; 44% also had decreased NK cell numbers and/or mature NK cells. Herpesvirus and/or papillomavirus infections were observed in 71%, malignancies were observed in 7%, and a 5% case-fatality rate was noted. Among the 99 participants who underwent research exome sequencing, 29% were considered solved for a likely contributing variant allele, with 52% of these cases involving known genes and 48% involving novel genes. CONCLUSIONS NKD is a phenotypic immunodeficiency associated with increased susceptibility to certain viral infections and cancer with multiple genetic etiologies, revealing key biological pathways for NK cell development and function. This research underscores the role of NK cells in human immune defenses and helps advance the identification of at-risk populations, precise genetic diagnoses, and informed clinical management for patients with NKD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manar Abdalgani
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY
| | - Evelyn R Hernandez
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY
| | - Luis A Pedroza
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY
| | - Ivan K Chinn
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Tex; Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Tex
| | - Lisa R Forbes Satter
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Tex; Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Tex
| | - Nicholas L Rider
- Department of Health Systems & Implementation Science, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Blacksburg, Va; Section of Allergy-Immunology, The Carilion Clinic, Roanoke, Va
| | | | - M Cecilia Poli
- Faculty of Medicine, Clinica Alemana Universidad del Desarrollo, Santiago, Chile
| | | | - Debra Canter
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Tex; Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Tex
| | - Tram Cao
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Tex; Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Tex
| | | | - Sarada L Nandiwada
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Tex; Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Tex
| | - James R Lupski
- Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Tex; Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Tex; Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Tex
| | - Jennifer E Posey
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Tex; Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Tex
| | - Rajasekhar Ramakrishnan
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY
| | - Emily M Mace
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY
| | - Jordan S Orange
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY.
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Jørgensen LV, Christensen EB, Barnkob MB, Barington T. The clinical landscape of CAR NK cells. Exp Hematol Oncol 2025; 14:46. [PMID: 40149002 PMCID: PMC11951618 DOI: 10.1186/s40164-025-00633-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2025] [Indexed: 03/29/2025] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) NK cell therapy has emerged as a promising alternative to CAR T cell therapy, offering significant advantages in terms of safety and versatility. Here we explore the current clinical landscape of CAR NK cells, and their application in hematologic malignancies and solid cancers, as well as their potential for treating autoimmune disorders. Our analysis draws from data collected from 120 clinical trials focused on CAR NK cells, and presents insights into the demographics and characteristics of these studies. We further outline the specific targets and diseases under investigation, along with the major cell sources, genetic modifications, combination strategies, preconditioning- and dosing regimens, and manufacturing strategies being utilized. Initial results from 16 of these clinical trials demonstrate promising efficacy of CAR NK cells, particularly in B cell malignancies, where response rates are comparable to those seen with CAR T cells but with lower rates of severe adverse effects, such as cytokine release syndrome (CRS), immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS), and graft-versus-host disease (GvHD). However, challenges remain in solid tumor applications, where only modest efficacy has been observed to date. Our analysis reveals that research is increasingly focused on enhancing CAR NK cell persistence, broadening their therapeutic targets, and refining manufacturing processes to improve accessibility and scalability. With recent advancements in NK cell engineering and their increased clinical applications, CAR NK cells are predicted to become an integral component of next-generation immunotherapies, not only for cancer but potentially for immune-mediated diseases as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lasse Vedel Jørgensen
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
- Centre for Cellular Immunotherapy of Haematological Cancer Odense (CITCO), Odense, Denmark
| | - Emil Birch Christensen
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
- Centre for Cellular Immunotherapy of Haematological Cancer Odense (CITCO), Odense, Denmark
| | - Mike Bogetofte Barnkob
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
- Centre for Cellular Immunotherapy of Haematological Cancer Odense (CITCO), Odense, Denmark
| | - Torben Barington
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark.
- Centre for Cellular Immunotherapy of Haematological Cancer Odense (CITCO), Odense, Denmark.
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Portillo AL, Rojas EA, Mehboob M, Moinuddin A, Balint E, Feng E, Silvestri C, Vahedi F, Ritchie TM, Mansour AJ, Bramson JL, Ashkar AA. CD56 does not contribute to the antitumor, tissue homing, and glycolytic capacity of human NK cells. J Leukoc Biol 2025; 117:qiae227. [PMID: 39449625 DOI: 10.1093/jleuko/qiae227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2024] [Accepted: 10/23/2024] [Indexed: 10/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells are critical innate immune cells involved in the clearance of virally infected and malignant cells. Human NK cells are distinguished by their surface expression of CD56 and a lack of CD3. While CD56 expression and cell surface density has long been used as the prototypic marker to characterize primary human NK cell functional subsets, the exact functional role of CD56 in primary human NK cells is still not fully understood. Here, we eliminated the expression of CD56 in human ex vivo expanded NK cells (CD56bright) using CRISPR/Cas9 in order to assess the function of CD56 in this highly activated and cytotoxic NK cell population. We show that the expression of CD56 has no effect on NK cell proliferative capacity or expression of various activation and inhibitory markers. Further, CD56 does not contribute to NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity, inflammatory cytokine production, or the ability of NK cells to control tumor engraftment in vivo. We also found that while deletion of CD56 did not impact NK cell glycolytic metabolism, it did increase NK cell reliance on oxidative phosphorylation. Last, CD56 does not alter expanded NK cell in vivo tissue trafficking. Our results indicate that while CD56 expression could be used to indicate a hyperfunctional state of NK cells, it does not directly influence the antitumor functions of expanded NK cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana L Portillo
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, McMaster Children's Hospital, 1200 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, MDCL 4010, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada
- Centre for Discovery in Cancer Research, McMaster University, MDCL 5106, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 4M1, Canada
| | - Eduardo A Rojas
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, McMaster Children's Hospital, 1200 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, MDCL 4010, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Misaal Mehboob
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, McMaster Children's Hospital, 1200 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, MDCL 4010, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada
- Centre for Discovery in Cancer Research, McMaster University, MDCL 5106, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 4M1, Canada
| | - Adnan Moinuddin
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, McMaster Children's Hospital, 1200 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, MDCL 4010, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada
- Centre for Discovery in Cancer Research, McMaster University, MDCL 5106, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 4M1, Canada
| | - Elizabeth Balint
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, McMaster Children's Hospital, 1200 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, MDCL 4010, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada
- Centre for Discovery in Cancer Research, McMaster University, MDCL 5106, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 4M1, Canada
| | - Emily Feng
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, McMaster Children's Hospital, 1200 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, MDCL 4010, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada
- Centre for Discovery in Cancer Research, McMaster University, MDCL 5106, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 4M1, Canada
| | - Christopher Silvestri
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, McMaster Children's Hospital, 1200 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, MDCL 4010, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada
- Centre for Discovery in Cancer Research, McMaster University, MDCL 5106, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 4M1, Canada
| | - Fatemeh Vahedi
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, McMaster Children's Hospital, 1200 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, MDCL 4010, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada
- Centre for Discovery in Cancer Research, McMaster University, MDCL 5106, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 4M1, Canada
| | - Tyrah M Ritchie
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, McMaster Children's Hospital, 1200 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, MDCL 4010, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Alexa J Mansour
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, McMaster Children's Hospital, 1200 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, MDCL 4010, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada
- Centre for Discovery in Cancer Research, McMaster University, MDCL 5106, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 4M1, Canada
| | - Jonathan L Bramson
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, McMaster Children's Hospital, 1200 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, MDCL 4010, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada
- Centre for Discovery in Cancer Research, McMaster University, MDCL 5106, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 4M1, Canada
| | - Ali A Ashkar
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, McMaster Children's Hospital, 1200 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, MDCL 4010, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada
- Centre for Discovery in Cancer Research, McMaster University, MDCL 5106, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 4M1, Canada
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Wang Y, Li Y, Chen J, Guo C, Yu X, Zhang Z, Fu Y, Han X, Hu Q, Ding H, Shang H, Jiang Y. Inhibition of TIGIT on NK cells improves their cytotoxicity and HIV reservoir eradication potential. mBio 2025; 16:e0322624. [PMID: 39918313 PMCID: PMC11898710 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03226-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2024] [Accepted: 01/10/2025] [Indexed: 03/14/2025] Open
Abstract
The latent human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) reservoir presents the biggest obstacle to curing HIV chronic infection. Consequently, finding novel strategies to control the HIV reservoir is critical. Natural killer (NK) cells are essential for antiviral immunity. However, the influence of NK cell subsets and their associated inhibitory or activating receptors on their cytotoxicity toward the HIV reservoir has not been fully studied. We investigated the relationship between the percentage of NK cells or NK cell subsets and the HIV reservoir. Our results indicated that the percentage of CD56-CD16+ NK cells was positively associated with HIV reservoir size (i.e., HIV DNA, HIV msRNA, or HIV usRNA). Additionally, we observed that the percentage of IFN-γ+ NK cells was inversely related to the HIV reservoir. Furthermore, the expression of TIGIT on NK cells, particularly CD56-CD16+ and CD56dim NK cell subsets, positively correlated with the HIV reservoir. Notably, individuals with higher percentage of TIGIT+ NK and lower percentage of CD226+ NK cells exhibited larger HIV reservoir. Mechanistically, we discovered that TIGIT could inhibit the PI3K-Akt-mTOR-mTORC1 (s6k) signaling pathway to decrease the production of IFN-γ in NK cells. Importantly, inhibiting TIGIT in NK cells enhanced their ability to eliminate reactivated latently infected CD4+ T cells. Our experiments underscored the crucial role of NK cells in controlling the HIV reservoir and suggested that TIGIT serves as a promising target for enhancing the NK cell-mediated clearance of the HIV reservoir. IMPORTANCE As a major barrier to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) cure, HIV reservoir persist in viremia-suppressed infected individuals. NK cells are important antiviral cells, and their impact on reservoir has rarely been reported. We analyzed the relationship between the size of reservoir and NK cell subsets, inhibitory receptor TIGIT expression. Our analysis found that the percentage of CD56-CD16+ NK cells was positively associated with HIV reservoir size. Furthermore, TIGIT expression on NK cells and CD56-CD16+ NK cells or CD56dim NK cells has a positive correlation with the HIV reservoir. TIGIT can inhibit the PI3K-Akt-mTOR-mTORC1 (s6k) signaling pathway to decrease the production of IFN-γ on NK cells. Blocking TIGIT in NK cells can enhance their ability to eliminate reactivated latently infected CD4+ T cells. Our study indicated that NK cells are critical to the control of the reservoir size, and TIGIT may be a target for enhancing the NK cell-mediated elimination of the reservoir.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, NHC Key Laboratory of AIDS Prevention and Treatment, National Clinical Research Center for Laboratory Medicine, The First Hospital of China Medical University, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
- Key Laboratory of AIDS Immunology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shenyang, China
- Key Laboratory of AIDS Immunology of Liaoning Province, Shenyang, China
| | - Yidi Li
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, NHC Key Laboratory of AIDS Prevention and Treatment, National Clinical Research Center for Laboratory Medicine, The First Hospital of China Medical University, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
- Key Laboratory of AIDS Immunology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shenyang, China
- Key Laboratory of AIDS Immunology of Liaoning Province, Shenyang, China
| | - Jiaqi Chen
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, NHC Key Laboratory of AIDS Prevention and Treatment, National Clinical Research Center for Laboratory Medicine, The First Hospital of China Medical University, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
- Key Laboratory of AIDS Immunology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shenyang, China
- Key Laboratory of AIDS Immunology of Liaoning Province, Shenyang, China
| | - Chenxi Guo
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, NHC Key Laboratory of AIDS Prevention and Treatment, National Clinical Research Center for Laboratory Medicine, The First Hospital of China Medical University, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
- Key Laboratory of AIDS Immunology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shenyang, China
- Key Laboratory of AIDS Immunology of Liaoning Province, Shenyang, China
| | - Xiaowen Yu
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, NHC Key Laboratory of AIDS Prevention and Treatment, National Clinical Research Center for Laboratory Medicine, The First Hospital of China Medical University, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
- Key Laboratory of AIDS Immunology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shenyang, China
- Key Laboratory of AIDS Immunology of Liaoning Province, Shenyang, China
| | - Zining Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, NHC Key Laboratory of AIDS Prevention and Treatment, National Clinical Research Center for Laboratory Medicine, The First Hospital of China Medical University, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
- Key Laboratory of AIDS Immunology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shenyang, China
- Key Laboratory of AIDS Immunology of Liaoning Province, Shenyang, China
| | - Yajing Fu
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, NHC Key Laboratory of AIDS Prevention and Treatment, National Clinical Research Center for Laboratory Medicine, The First Hospital of China Medical University, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
- Key Laboratory of AIDS Immunology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shenyang, China
- Key Laboratory of AIDS Immunology of Liaoning Province, Shenyang, China
| | - Xiaoxu Han
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, NHC Key Laboratory of AIDS Prevention and Treatment, National Clinical Research Center for Laboratory Medicine, The First Hospital of China Medical University, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
- Key Laboratory of AIDS Immunology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shenyang, China
- Key Laboratory of AIDS Immunology of Liaoning Province, Shenyang, China
| | - Qinghai Hu
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, NHC Key Laboratory of AIDS Prevention and Treatment, National Clinical Research Center for Laboratory Medicine, The First Hospital of China Medical University, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
- Key Laboratory of AIDS Immunology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shenyang, China
- Key Laboratory of AIDS Immunology of Liaoning Province, Shenyang, China
| | - Haibo Ding
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, NHC Key Laboratory of AIDS Prevention and Treatment, National Clinical Research Center for Laboratory Medicine, The First Hospital of China Medical University, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
- Key Laboratory of AIDS Immunology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shenyang, China
- Key Laboratory of AIDS Immunology of Liaoning Province, Shenyang, China
| | - Hong Shang
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, NHC Key Laboratory of AIDS Prevention and Treatment, National Clinical Research Center for Laboratory Medicine, The First Hospital of China Medical University, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
- Key Laboratory of AIDS Immunology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shenyang, China
- Key Laboratory of AIDS Immunology of Liaoning Province, Shenyang, China
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yongjun Jiang
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, NHC Key Laboratory of AIDS Prevention and Treatment, National Clinical Research Center for Laboratory Medicine, The First Hospital of China Medical University, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
- Key Laboratory of AIDS Immunology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shenyang, China
- Key Laboratory of AIDS Immunology of Liaoning Province, Shenyang, China
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5
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Sánchez-Gaona N, Perea D, Curran A, Burgos J, Navarro J, Suanzes P, Falcó V, Martín-Gayo E, Genescà M, Carrillo J, Buzón MJ. NK cell depletion in bispecific antibody therapy is associated with lack of HIV control after ART interruption. Commun Biol 2025; 8:236. [PMID: 39953264 PMCID: PMC11829058 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-025-07651-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/31/2025] [Indexed: 02/17/2025] Open
Abstract
HIV infection remains incurable as the virus persists within a latent reservoir of CD4+T cells. Novel approaches to enhance immune responses against HIV are essential for effective control and potential cure of the infection. In this study, we designed a novel tetravalent bispecific antibody (Bi-Ab32/16) to simultaneously target the gp120 viral protein on infected cells, and the CD16a receptor on NK cells. In vitro, Bi-Ab32/16 triggered a potent, specific, and polyfunctional NK-dependent response against HIV-infected cells. Moreover, addition of the Bi-Ab32/16 significantly reduced the latent HIV reservoir after viral reactivation and mediated the clearance of cells harboring intact proviruses in samples from people with HIV (PWH). However, the in vivo preclinical evaluation of Bi-Ab32/16 in humanized mice expressing IL-15 (NSG-Hu-IL-15) revealed a significant decline of NK cells associated with poor virological control after ART interruption. Our study underscores the need to carefully evaluating strategies for sustained NK cell stimulation during ART withdrawal.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Sánchez-Gaona
- Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - D Perea
- Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - A Curran
- Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - J Burgos
- Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - J Navarro
- Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - P Suanzes
- Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - V Falcó
- Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - E Martín-Gayo
- Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Immunology Unit, Hospital Universitario de la Princesa, Madrid, Spain
- CIBERINFEC. ISCIII, Madrid, Spain
| | - M Genescà
- Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - J Carrillo
- CIBERINFEC. ISCIII, Madrid, Spain
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain
| | - M J Buzón
- Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
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6
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Rishabh K, Matosevic S. The diversity of natural killer cell functional and phenotypic states in cancer. Cancer Metastasis Rev 2025; 44:26. [PMID: 39853430 DOI: 10.1007/s10555-025-10242-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2024] [Accepted: 01/08/2025] [Indexed: 01/26/2025]
Abstract
The role of natural killer (NK) cells as immune effectors is well established, as is their utility as immunotherapeutic agents against various cancers. However, NK cells' anti-cancer roles are suppressed in cancer patients by various immunomodulatory mechanisms which alter these cells' identity, function, and potential for immunosurveillance. This manifests in abnormal NK cell responses accompanied by changes in phenotypic or genotypic identity, giving rise to specific NK cell subsets that are either hypofunctional or, more broadly, defective in their responses. Anergy, senescence, and exhaustion are some of the terms that have been used to define and characterize these NK cell functional states. These responses vary not only with cancer type but also NK cell location within tissues. Collectively, these phenomena suggest a highly plastic nature of NK cell biology in tumors. In this review, we present and discuss a summary of these functionally distinct states and provide an overview of how NK cells behave at different locations within the context of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kumar Rishabh
- Department of Industrial and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Sandro Matosevic
- Department of Industrial and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
- Institute for Cancer Research, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
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7
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Nohara J, Evangelous T, Berry M, Beck W, Mudrak S, Jha S, Reeves RK, Wiehe KJ, Pollara J, Tomaras GD, Bradley T, Ferrari G. Increased Chemokine Production is a Hallmark of Rhesus Macaque Natural Killer Cells Mediating Robust Anti-HIV Envelope-Specific Antibody-Dependent Cell-Mediated Cytotoxicity. Pathog Immun 2025; 10:49-79. [PMID: 39911143 PMCID: PMC11792536 DOI: 10.20411/pai.v10i1.734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2024] [Accepted: 12/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2025] Open
Abstract
Background Antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxic (ADCC) response mediated by natural killer (NK) cells correlates with decreased infection risk in studies involving simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)/simian-human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) vaccine candidates. Currently, the heterogeneities of the functional subset of rhesus macaque natural killer (RMNK) cells are under-characterized. Method We engaged the RMNK cells with ADCC-mediating anti-HIV-1 monoclonal antibodies (ADCCAbs) or anti-CD16 antibodies and used CD107a expression as the surrogate marker for RMNK cells actively involved in ADCC. CD107a+ and CD107a- populations were analyzed individually using single-cell RNA sequencing. Results Subsets of CD107a+ RMNK cells produced more chemokines than the others, suggesting that these cells not only eliminate infected cells but also provide immunoregulatory signals and potentially curb HIV-1 replication. Crosslinking of Fc gamma receptor IIIa via anti-CD16 antibodies resulted in a significantly higher percentage of degranulating cells than via ADCCAbs. However, the magnitude of degranulation and chemokine production was reduced by 6- to 30-fold. Conclusion The quality and quantity of receptor engagement are important determinants of achieving an optimal level of the RMNK response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junsuke Nohara
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC
- Department of Surgery, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC
| | - Tyler Evangelous
- Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC
| | - Madison Berry
- Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC
| | - Whitney Beck
- Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC
| | - Sarah Mudrak
- Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC
- Department of Surgery, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC
| | - Shalini Jha
- Department of Surgery, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC
| | - R. Keith Reeves
- Department of Surgery, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC
- Duke Research and Discovery at RTP, Duke University Health System, Durham, NC
- Center for Human Systems Immunology, Duke University, Durham, NC
- Department of Pathology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC
| | - Kevin J. Wiehe
- Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC
| | - Justin Pollara
- Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC
- Department of Surgery, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC
- Center for Human Systems Immunology, Duke University, Durham, NC
| | - Georgia D. Tomaras
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC
- Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC
- Department of Surgery, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC
- Center for Human Systems Immunology, Duke University, Durham, NC
| | - Todd Bradley
- Genomic Medicine Center, Children's Mercy Research Institute, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO
- Departments of Pediatrics and Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, MO
- Department of Pediatrics, UMKC School of Medicine, Kansas City, MO
| | - Guido Ferrari
- Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC
- Department of Surgery, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC
- Center for Human Systems Immunology, Duke University, Durham, NC
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8
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Wu H, Liu Q, Wang F, Gao W, Zhou F, Zhao H. Research Progress of NK Cells in Glioblastoma Treatment. Onco Targets Ther 2025; 18:87-106. [PMID: 39845286 PMCID: PMC11752833 DOI: 10.2147/ott.s486411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2024] [Accepted: 01/01/2025] [Indexed: 01/24/2025] Open
Abstract
NK cells are a type of antitumor immune cell with promising clinical application, following T cells. The activity of NK cells is primarily regulated by their surface receptors and immune microenvironment. In gliomas, the tumor microenvironment exerts a strong immunosuppressive effect, which significantly reduces the clinical efficacy of NK cell immunotherapy. Therefore, this review aims to discuss the latest research on the role of NK cells in glioma immunotherapy, focusing on aspects such as NK cell development, function, and localization. It summarizes information on the compounds, monoclonal antibodies, and cytokine therapies targeting NK cells while emphasizing the current status and trends of gene-modified NK cells in glioma treatment. Additionally, it explores the molecular mechanisms underlying immune escape in glioma cells, providing a theoretical foundation and new perspectives for NK cell-based immunotherapy in gliomas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Wu
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Medical University, Xi’an, People’s Republic of China
| | - Qi Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Hospital of Yulin, Yulin, People’s Republic of China
| | - Fenglu Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Medical University, Xi’an, People’s Republic of China
| | - Wenwen Gao
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Medical University, Xi’an, People’s Republic of China
| | - Feng Zhou
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Hospital of Yulin, Yulin, People’s Republic of China
| | - Haikang Zhao
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Medical University, Xi’an, People’s Republic of China
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9
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Kong Y, Li J, Zhao X, Wu Y, Chen L. CAR-T cell therapy: developments, challenges and expanded applications from cancer to autoimmunity. Front Immunol 2025; 15:1519671. [PMID: 39850899 PMCID: PMC11754230 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1519671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2024] [Accepted: 12/17/2024] [Indexed: 01/25/2025] Open
Abstract
Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy has rapidly emerged as a groundbreaking approach in cancer treatment, particularly for hematologic malignancies. However, the application of CAR-T cell therapy in solid tumors remains challenging. This review summarized the development of CAR-T technologies, emphasized the challenges and solutions in CAR-T cell therapy for solid tumors. Also, key innovations were discussed including specialized CAR-T, combination therapies and the novel use of CAR-Treg, CAR-NK and CAR-M cells. Besides, CAR-based cell therapy have extended its reach beyond oncology to autoimmune disorders. We reviewed preclinical experiments and clinical trials involving CAR-T, Car-Treg and CAAR-T cell therapies in various autoimmune diseases. By highlighting these cutting-edge developments, this review underscores the transformative potential of CAR technologies in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Yanwei Wu
- School of Medicine, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
| | - Liang Chen
- School of Medicine, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
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10
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Lee MJ, Litchford ML, Vendrame E, Vergara R, Ranganath T, Fish CS, Chebet D, Langat A, Mburu C, Neary J, Benki S, Wamalwa D, John-Stewart G, Lehman DA, Blish CA. Distinct immune profiles in children living with HIV based on timing and duration of suppressive antiretroviral treatment. Virology 2025; 602:110318. [PMID: 39612623 PMCID: PMC11645197 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2024.110318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2024] [Revised: 11/05/2024] [Accepted: 11/25/2024] [Indexed: 12/01/2024]
Abstract
Timely initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) remains a major challenge in the effort to treat children living with HIV ("CLH") and little is known regarding the dynamics of immune normalization following ART in CLH with varying times to and durations of ART. Here, we leveraged two cohorts of virally-suppressed CLH from Nairobi, Kenya to examine differences in the peripheral immune systems between two cohorts of age-matched children (to control for immune changes with age): one group which initiated ART during early HIV infection and had been on ART for 5-6 years at evaluation (early, long-term treated; "ELT" cohort), and one group which initiated ART later and had been on ART for approximately 9 months at evaluation (delayed, short-term treated; "DST" cohort). We profiled PBMC and purified NK cells from these two cohorts by mass cytometry time-of-flight (CyTOF). Although both groups of CLH had undetectable viral RNA load at evaluation, there were marked differences in both immune composition and immune phenotype between the ELT cohort and the DST cohort. DST donors had reduced CD4 T cell percentages, decreased naive to effector memory T cell ratios, and markedly higher expression of stress-induced markers. Conversely, ELT donors had higher naive to effector memory T cell ratios, low expression of stress-induced markers, and increased expression of markers associated with an effective antiviral response and resolution of inflammation. Collectively, our results demonstrate key differences in the immune systems of virally-suppressed CLH with different ages at ART initiation and durations of treatment and provide further rationale for emphasizing early onset of ART.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeline J Lee
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA; Stanford Immunology Program, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Morgan L Litchford
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Elena Vendrame
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Rosemary Vergara
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Thanmayi Ranganath
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Carolyn S Fish
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Daisy Chebet
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Agnes Langat
- Division of Global HIV & TB., Center for Global Health, U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, USA
| | - Caren Mburu
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Jillian Neary
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Sarah Benki
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Dalton Wamalwa
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
| | | | - Dara A Lehman
- Division of Human Biology, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Catherine A Blish
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA; Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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11
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von Werz V, Spadiut O, Kozma B. A review and statistical analysis to identify and describe relationships between CQAs and CPPs of natural killer cell expansion processes. Cytotherapy 2024; 26:1285-1298. [PMID: 38944794 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcyt.2024.05.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 07/01/2024]
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells make only a small fraction of immune cells in the human body, however, play a pivotal role in the fight against cancer by the immune system. They are capable of eliminating abnormal cells via several direct or indirect cytotoxicity pathways in a self-regulating manner, which makes them a favorable choice as a cellular therapy against cancer. Additionally, allogeneic NK cells, unlike other lymphocytes, do not or only minimally cause graft-versus-host diseases opening the door for an off-the-shelf therapy. However, to date, the production of NK cells faces several difficulties, especially because the critical process parameters (CPPs) influencing the critical quality attributes (CQAs) are difficult to identify or correlate. There are numerous different cultivation platforms available, all with own characteristics, benefits and disadvantages that add further difficulty to define CPPs and relate them to CQAs. Our goal in this contribution was to summarize the current knowledge about NK cell expansion CPPs and CQAs, therefore we analyzed the available literature of both dynamic and static culture format experiments in a systematic manner. We present a list of the identified CQAs and CPPs and discuss the role of each CPP in the regulation of the CQAs. Furthermore, we could identify potential relationships between certain CPPs and CQAs. The findings based on this systematic literature research can be the foundation for meaningful experiments leading to better process understanding and eventually control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentin von Werz
- Research Area Biochemical Engineering, Institute of Chemical, Environmental and Bioscience Engineering, Technische Universität Wien, Vienna, Austria
| | - Oliver Spadiut
- Research Area Biochemical Engineering, Institute of Chemical, Environmental and Bioscience Engineering, Technische Universität Wien, Vienna, Austria
| | - Bence Kozma
- Research Area Biochemical Engineering, Institute of Chemical, Environmental and Bioscience Engineering, Technische Universität Wien, Vienna, Austria.
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12
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Looi CK, Loo EM, Lim HC, Chew YL, Chin KY, Cheah SC, Goh BH, Mai CW. Revolutionizing the treatment for nasopharyngeal cancer: the impact, challenges and strategies of stem cell and genetically engineered cell therapies. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1484535. [PMID: 39450176 PMCID: PMC11499120 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1484535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2024] [Accepted: 09/24/2024] [Indexed: 10/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a distinct malignancy of the nasopharynx and is consistently associated with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection. Its unique anatomical location and complex aetiology often result in advanced-stage disease at first diagnosis. While radiotherapy (RT) and chemotherapy have been the mainstays of treatment, they often fail to prevent tumour recurrence and metastasis, leading to high rates of treatment failure and mortality. Recent advancement in cell-based therapies, such as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy, have shown great promise in hematological malignancies and are now being investigated for NPC. However, challenges such as targeting specific tumour antigens, limited T cell persistence and proliferation, and managing treatment-related toxicities must be addressed. Extensive research is needed to enhance the effectiveness and safety of these therapies, paving the way for their integration into standard clinical practice for better management of NPC and a better quality of life for human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chin-King Looi
- School of Postgraduate Studies, International Medical University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Ee-Mun Loo
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, UCSI University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Advanced Genomics Laboratory, AGTC Genomics, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Heng-Chee Lim
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, UCSI University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Yik-Ling Chew
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, UCSI University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Kok-Yong Chin
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Shiau-Chuen Cheah
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, UCSI University, Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
| | - Bey Hing Goh
- Sunway Biofunctional Molecules Discovery Centre, School of Medical and Life Sciences, Sunway University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
- Biofunctional Molecule Exploratory Research Group, School of Pharmacy, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Zhejiang, China
| | - Chun-Wai Mai
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, UCSI University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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13
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Sánchez-Gaona N, Gallego-Cortés A, Astorga-Gamaza A, Rallón N, Benito JM, Ruiz-Mateos E, Curran A, Burgos J, Navarro J, Suanzes P, Falcó V, Genescà M, Buzon MJ. NKG2C and NKG2A coexpression defines a highly functional antiviral NK population in spontaneous HIV control. JCI Insight 2024; 9:e182660. [PMID: 39288262 PMCID: PMC11529982 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.182660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2024] [Accepted: 09/10/2024] [Indexed: 09/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Elite controllers (ECs), a unique group of people with HIV (PWH), exhibit remarkable control of viral replication in the absence of antiretroviral therapy. In this study, we comprehensively characterized the NK cell repertoire in ECs after long-term viral control. Phenotypic profiling of NK cells revealed profound differences compared with other PWH, but marked similarities to uninfected individuals, with a distinctive prevalence of NKG2C+CD57+ memory-like NK cells. Functional analyses indicated that ECs had limited production of functional molecules upon NK stimulation and consequently reduced natural cytotoxicity against non-HIV target cells. Importantly, ECs showed an exceptional ability to kill primary HIV-infected cells by the antibody-dependent cell cytotoxicity adaptive mechanism, which was achieved by a specific memory-like NK population expressing CD16, NKG2A, NKG2C, CD57, and CXCR3. In-depth single-cell RNA-seq unveiled a unique transcriptional signature in these NK cells linked to increased cell metabolism, migration, chemotaxis, effector functions, cytokine secretion, and antiviral response. Our findings underscore a pivotal role of NK cells in the immune control of HIV and identify specific NK cells as emerging targets for immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nerea Sánchez-Gaona
- Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ana Gallego-Cortés
- Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Antonio Astorga-Gamaza
- Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Norma Rallón
- HIV and Viral Hepatitis Research Laboratory, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria-Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (IIS-FJD, UAM), Madrid, Spain
- Hospital Universitario Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, Spain
| | - José Miguel Benito
- HIV and Viral Hepatitis Research Laboratory, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria-Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (IIS-FJD, UAM), Madrid, Spain
- Hospital Universitario Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, Spain
| | - Ezequiel Ruiz-Mateos
- Institute of Biomedicine of Seville (IBiS), Virgen del Rocío University Hospital, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), University of Seville, Clinical Unit of Infectious Diseases, Microbiology and Parasitology, Seville, Spain
| | - Adrian Curran
- Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Joaquin Burgos
- Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jordi Navarro
- Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Paula Suanzes
- Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Vicenç Falcó
- Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Meritxell Genescà
- Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Maria J. Buzon
- Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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14
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Cui Y, Hackett RG, Ascue J, Muralidaran V, Patil D, Kang J, Kaufman SS, Khan K, Kroemer A. Innate and Adaptive Immune Responses in Intestinal Transplant Rejection: Through the Lens of Inflammatory Bowel and Intestinal Graft-Versus-Host Diseases. Gastroenterol Clin North Am 2024; 53:359-382. [PMID: 39068000 DOI: 10.1016/j.gtc.2024.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
Intestinal transplantation is a life-saving procedure utilized for patients failing total parenteral nutrition. However, intestinal transplantattion remains plagued with low survival rates and high risk of allograft rejection. The authors explore roles of innate (macrophages, natural killer cells, innate lymphoid cells) and adaptive immune cells (Th1, Th2, Th17, Tregs) in inflammatory responses, particularly inflammatory bowel disease and graft versus host disease, and correlate these findings to intestinal allograft rejection, highlighting which effectors exacerbate or suppress intestinal rejection. Better understanding of this immunology can open further investigation into potential biomolecular targets to develop improved therapeutic treatment options and immunomonitoring techniques to combat allograft rejection and enhance patient lives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuki Cui
- MedStar Georgetown Transplant Institute, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and the Center for Translational Transplant Medicine, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Ryan G Hackett
- MedStar Georgetown Transplant Institute, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and the Center for Translational Transplant Medicine, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Jhalen Ascue
- MedStar Georgetown Transplant Institute, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and the Center for Translational Transplant Medicine, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Vinona Muralidaran
- MedStar Georgetown Transplant Institute, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and the Center for Translational Transplant Medicine, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Digvijay Patil
- MedStar Georgetown Transplant Institute, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and the Center for Translational Transplant Medicine, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Jiman Kang
- MedStar Georgetown Transplant Institute, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and the Center for Translational Transplant Medicine, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular & Cellular Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Stuart S Kaufman
- MedStar Georgetown Transplant Institute, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and the Center for Translational Transplant Medicine, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Khalid Khan
- MedStar Georgetown Transplant Institute, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and the Center for Translational Transplant Medicine, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Alexander Kroemer
- MedStar Georgetown Transplant Institute, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital and the Center for Translational Transplant Medicine, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA.
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15
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Coppard V, Szep G, Georgieva Z, Howlett SK, Jarvis LB, Rainbow DB, Suchanek O, Needham EJ, Mousa HS, Menon DK, Feyertag F, Mahbubani KT, Saeb-Parsy K, Jones JL. FlowAtlas: an interactive tool for high-dimensional immunophenotyping analysis bridging FlowJo with computational tools in Julia. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1425488. [PMID: 39086484 PMCID: PMC11288863 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1425488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024] Open
Abstract
As the dimensionality, throughput and complexity of cytometry data increases, so does the demand for user-friendly, interactive analysis tools that leverage high-performance machine learning frameworks. Here we introduce FlowAtlas: an interactive web application that enables dimensionality reduction of cytometry data without down-sampling and that is compatible with datasets stained with non-identical panels. FlowAtlas bridges the user-friendly environment of FlowJo and computational tools in Julia developed by the scientific machine learning community, eliminating the need for coding and bioinformatics expertise. New population discovery and detection of rare populations in FlowAtlas is intuitive and rapid. We demonstrate the capabilities of FlowAtlas using a human multi-tissue, multi-donor immune cell dataset, highlighting key immunological findings. FlowAtlas is available at https://github.com/gszep/FlowAtlas.jl.git.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerie Coppard
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Grisha Szep
- Randall Centre for Cell & Molecular Biophysics, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Zoya Georgieva
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah K. Howlett
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Lorna B. Jarvis
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel B. Rainbow
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Ondrej Suchanek
- Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Edward J. Needham
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Hani S. Mousa
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - David K. Menon
- Department of Anaesthesia, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | - Krishnaa T. Mahbubani
- Department of Surgery, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Collaborative Biorepository for Translational Medicine (CBTM), Cambridge NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Kourosh Saeb-Parsy
- Department of Surgery, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Collaborative Biorepository for Translational Medicine (CBTM), Cambridge NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Joanne L. Jones
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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16
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Zang J, Mei Y, Zhu S, Yin S, Feng N, Ci T, Lyu Y. Natural Killer-Based Therapy: A Prospective Thought for Cancer Treatment Related to Diversified Drug Delivery Pathways. Pharmaceutics 2024; 16:939. [PMID: 39065636 PMCID: PMC11279587 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics16070939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2024] [Revised: 07/08/2024] [Accepted: 07/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy has been a research hotspot due to its low side effects, long-lasting efficacy, and wide anti-tumor spectrum. Recently, NK cell-based immunotherapy has gained broad attention for its unique immunological character of tumor identification and eradication and low risk of graft-versus-host disease and cytokine storm. With the cooperation of a drug delivery system (DDS), NK cells activate tumoricidal activity by adjusting the balance of the activating and inhibitory signals on their surface after drug-loaded DDS administration. Moreover, NK cells or NK-derived exosomes can also be applied as drug carriers for distinct modification to promote NK activation and exert anti-tumor effects. In this review, we first introduce the source and classification of NK cells and describe the common activating and inhibitory receptors on their surface. Then, we summarize the strategies for activating NK cells in vivo through various DDSs. Finally, the application prospects of NK cells in tumor immunotherapy are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Zang
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China; (J.Z.); (N.F.)
| | - Yijun Mei
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China;
| | - Shiguo Zhu
- Department of Immunology and Pathogenic Biology, School of Integrative Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China;
| | - Shaoping Yin
- School of Pharmacy, Jiangsu Provincial Engineering Research Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine External Medication Development and Application, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China;
| | - Nianping Feng
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China; (J.Z.); (N.F.)
| | - Tianyuan Ci
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China; (J.Z.); (N.F.)
| | - Yaqi Lyu
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China; (J.Z.); (N.F.)
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17
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Yang R, Yang Y, Liu R, Wang Y, Yang R, He A. Advances in CAR-NK cell therapy for hematological malignancies. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1414264. [PMID: 39007146 PMCID: PMC11239349 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1414264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapy has revolutionized the treatment of hematological malignancies, demonstrably improving patient outcomes and prognosis. However, its application has introduced new challenges, such as safety concerns, off-target toxicities, and significant costs. Natural killer (NK) cells are crucial components of the innate immune system, capable of eliminating tumor cells without prior exposure to specific antigens or pre-activation. This inherent advantage complements the limitations of T cells, making CAR-NK cell therapy a promising avenue for hematological tumor immunotherapy. In recent years, preclinical and clinical studies have yielded preliminary evidence supporting the safety and efficacy of CAR-NK cell therapy in hematological malignancies, paving the way for future advancements in immunotherapy. This review aims to succinctly discuss the characteristics, significant therapeutic progress, and potential challenges associated with CAR-NK cell therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Yang
- Department of Hematology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yun Yang
- Department of Hematology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
- Xi’an Key Laboratory of Hematological Diseases, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Rui Liu
- Department of Hematology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yiwen Wang
- Department of Hematology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Ruoyu Yang
- Department of Hematology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Aili He
- Department of Hematology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
- Xi’an Key Laboratory of Hematological Diseases, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
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18
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Wu LY, Park SH, Jakobsson H, Shackleton M, Möller A. Immune Regulation and Immune Therapy in Melanoma: Review with Emphasis on CD155 Signalling. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:1950. [PMID: 38893071 PMCID: PMC11171058 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16111950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2024] [Revised: 05/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Melanoma is commonly diagnosed in a younger population than most other solid malignancies and, in Australia and most of the world, is the leading cause of skin-cancer-related death. Melanoma is a cancer type with high immunogenicity; thus, immunotherapies are used as first-line treatment for advanced melanoma patients. Although immunotherapies are working well, not all the patients are benefitting from them. A lack of a comprehensive understanding of immune regulation in the melanoma tumour microenvironment is a major challenge of patient stratification. Overexpression of CD155 has been reported as a key factor in melanoma immune regulation for the development of therapy resistance. A more thorough understanding of the actions of current immunotherapy strategies, their effects on immune cell subsets, and the roles that CD155 plays are essential for a rational design of novel targets of anti-cancer immunotherapies. In this review, we comprehensively discuss current anti-melanoma immunotherapy strategies and the immune response contribution of different cell lineages, including tumour endothelial cells, myeloid-derived suppressor cells, cytotoxic T cells, cancer-associated fibroblast, and nature killer cells. Finally, we explore the impact of CD155 and its receptors DNAM-1, TIGIT, and CD96 on immune cells, especially in the context of the melanoma tumour microenvironment and anti-cancer immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Ying Wu
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4059, Australia;
- JC STEM Lab, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China;
- Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Su-Ho Park
- JC STEM Lab, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China;
- Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Haakan Jakobsson
- Department of Medical Oncology, Paula Fox Melanoma and Cancer Centre, Alfred Health, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia;
| | - Mark Shackleton
- Department of Medical Oncology, Paula Fox Melanoma and Cancer Centre, Alfred Health, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia;
- School of Translational Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Andreas Möller
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4059, Australia;
- JC STEM Lab, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China;
- Li Ka Shing Institute of Health Sciences, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
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19
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Huynh DC, Nguyen MP, Ngo DT, Nguyen XH, Nguyen DT, Mai TH, Le TH, Hoang MD, Le KL, Nguyen KQ, Nguyen VH, Kelley KW. A comprehensive analysis of the immune system in healthy Vietnamese people. Heliyon 2024; 10:e30647. [PMID: 38765090 PMCID: PMC11101793 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e30647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2024] [Revised: 04/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Lifestyle, diet, socioeconomic status and genetics all contribute to heterogeneity in immune responses. Vietnam is plagued with a variety of health problems, but there are no available data on immune system values in the Vietnamese population. This study aimed to establish reference intervals for immune cell parameters specific to the healthy Vietnamese population by utilizing multi-color flow cytometry (MCFC). We provide a comprehensive analysis of total leukocyte count, quantitative and qualitative shifts within lymphocyte subsets, serum and cytokine and chemokine levels and functional attributes of key immune cells including B cells, T cells, natural killer (NK) cells and their respective subpopulations. By establishing these reference values for the Vietnamese population, these data contribute significantly to our understanding of the human immune system variations across diverse populations. These data will be of substantial comparative value and be instrumental in developing personalized medical approaches and optimizing diagnostic strategies for individuals based on their unique immune profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Keith W Kelley
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
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20
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Li S, Dai W, Kam NW, Zhang J, Lee VHF, Ren X, Kwong DLW. The Role of Natural Killer Cells in the Tumor Immune Microenvironment of EBV-Associated Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:1312. [PMID: 38610990 PMCID: PMC11011204 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16071312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2024] [Revised: 03/23/2024] [Accepted: 03/23/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Endemic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is closely associated with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), which contributes to tumor development and influences the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) in NPC. Natural killer (NK) cells, as part of the innate immune system, play a crucial role in responding to viral infections and malignant cell transformations. Notably, NK cells possess a unique ability to target tumor cells independent of major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC I) expression. This means that MHC I-deficient tumor cells, which can escape from effective T cell attack, are susceptible to NK-cell-mediated killing. The activation of NK cells is determined by the signals generated through inhibitory and activating receptors expressed on their surface. Understanding the role of NK cells in the complex TIME of EBV+ NPC is of utmost importance. In this review, we provide a comprehensive summary of the current understanding of NK cells in NPC, focusing on their subpopulations, interactions, and cytotoxicity within the TIME. Moreover, we discuss the potential translational therapeutic applications of NK cells in NPC. This review aims to enhance our knowledge of the role of NK cells in NPC and provide valuable insights for future investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuzhan Li
- Department of Biotherapy, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin 300060, China; (S.L.); (J.Z.)
- Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin 300060, China
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunology and Biotherapy, Tianjin 300060, China
| | - Wei Dai
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Centre of Cancer Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China; (W.D.); (N.-W.K.); (V.H.F.L.)
| | - Ngar-Woon Kam
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Centre of Cancer Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China; (W.D.); (N.-W.K.); (V.H.F.L.)
- Laboratory for Synthetic Chemistry and Chemical Biology Limited, Hong Kong Science Park, New Territories, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Jiali Zhang
- Department of Biotherapy, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin 300060, China; (S.L.); (J.Z.)
- Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin 300060, China
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunology and Biotherapy, Tianjin 300060, China
| | - Victor H. F. Lee
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Centre of Cancer Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China; (W.D.); (N.-W.K.); (V.H.F.L.)
- Clinical Oncology Center, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen 518053, China
| | - Xiubao Ren
- Department of Biotherapy, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin 300060, China; (S.L.); (J.Z.)
- Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin 300060, China
- Key Laboratory of Cancer Immunology and Biotherapy, Tianjin 300060, China
| | - Dora Lai-Wan Kwong
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Centre of Cancer Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China; (W.D.); (N.-W.K.); (V.H.F.L.)
- Clinical Oncology Center, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen 518053, China
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21
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Reed AE, Peraza J, van den Haak F, Hernandez ER, Gibbs RA, Chinn IK, Lupski JR, Marchi E, Reshef R, Alobeid B, Mace EM, Orange JS. β-Actin G342D as a Cause of NK Cell Deficiency Impairing Lytic Synapse Termination. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2024; 212:962-973. [PMID: 38315012 PMCID: PMC11337350 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2300671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
NK cell deficiency (NKD) occurs when an individual's major clinical immunodeficiency derives from abnormal NK cells and is associated with several genetic etiologies. Three categories of β-actin-related diseases with over 60 ACTB (β-actin) variants have previously been identified, none with a distinct NK cell phenotype. An individual with mild developmental delay, macrothrombocytopenia, and susceptibility to infections, molluscum contagiosum virus, and EBV-associated lymphoma had functional NKD for over a decade. A de novo ACTB variant encoding G342D β-actin was identified and was consistent with the individual's developmental and platelet phenotype. This novel variant also was found to have direct impact in NK cells because its expression in the human NK cell line YTS (YTS-NKD) caused increased cell spreading in lytic immune synapses created on activating surfaces. YTS-NKD cells were able to degranulate and perform cytotoxicity, but they demonstrated defective serial killing because of prolonged conjugation to the killed target cell and thus were effectively unable to terminate lytic synapses. G342D β-actin results in a novel, to our knowledge, mechanism of functional NKD via increased synaptic spreading and defective lytic synapse termination with resulting impaired serial killing, leading to overall reductions in NK cell cytotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail E Reed
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Jackeline Peraza
- Department of Biology, Barnard College of Columbia University, New York, NY
| | - Frederique van den Haak
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Evelyn R Hernandez
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Richard A Gibbs
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | - Ivan K Chinn
- Division of Immunology, Allergy and Retrovirology, Department of Pediatrics, Texas Children's Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | - James R Lupski
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Human Genome Sequencing Center, Texas Children's Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
- Department of Pediatrics, Texas Children's Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | - Enrica Marchi
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, NCI Designated Cancer Center, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
| | - Ran Reshef
- Blood and Marrow Transplantation and Cell Therapy Program, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Bachir Alobeid
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Emily M Mace
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
| | - Jordan S Orange
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY
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22
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Maia A, Tarannum M, Lérias JR, Piccinelli S, Borrego LM, Maeurer M, Romee R, Castillo-Martin M. Building a Better Defense: Expanding and Improving Natural Killer Cells for Adoptive Cell Therapy. Cells 2024; 13:451. [PMID: 38474415 PMCID: PMC10930942 DOI: 10.3390/cells13050451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2024] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells have gained attention as a promising adoptive cell therapy platform for their potential to improve cancer treatments. NK cells offer distinct advantages over T-cells, including major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I)-independent tumor recognition and low risk of toxicity, even in an allogeneic setting. Despite this tremendous potential, challenges persist, such as limited in vivo persistence, reduced tumor infiltration, and low absolute NK cell numbers. This review outlines several strategies aiming to overcome these challenges. The developed strategies include optimizing NK cell expansion methods and improving NK cell antitumor responses by cytokine stimulation and genetic manipulations. Using K562 cells expressing membrane IL-15 or IL-21 with or without additional activating ligands like 4-1BBL allows "massive" NK cell expansion and makes multiple cell dosing and "off-the-shelf" efforts feasible. Further improvements in NK cell function can be reached by inducing memory-like NK cells, developing chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-NK cells, or isolating NK-cell-based tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). Memory-like NK cells demonstrate higher in vivo persistence and cytotoxicity, with early clinical trials demonstrating safety and promising efficacy. Recent trials using CAR-NK cells have also demonstrated a lack of any major toxicity, including cytokine release syndrome, and, yet, promising clinical activity. Recent data support that the presence of TIL-NK cells is associated with improved overall patient survival in different types of solid tumors such as head and neck, colorectal, breast, and gastric carcinomas, among the most significant. In conclusion, this review presents insights into the diverse strategies available for NK cell expansion, including the roles played by various cytokines, feeder cells, and culture material in influencing the activation phenotype, telomere length, and cytotoxic potential of expanded NK cells. Notably, genetically modified K562 cells have demonstrated significant efficacy in promoting NK cell expansion. Furthermore, culturing NK cells with IL-2 and IL-15 has been shown to improve expansion rates, while the presence of IL-12 and IL-21 has been linked to enhanced cytotoxic function. Overall, this review provides an overview of NK cell expansion methodologies, highlighting the current landscape of clinical trials and the key advancements to enhance NK-cell-based adoptive cell therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreia Maia
- Molecular and Experimental Pathology Laboratory, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Champalimaud Foundation, 1400-038 Lisbon, Portugal;
- NK Cell Gene Manipulation and Therapy Laboratory, Division of Cellular Therapy and Stem Cell Transplant, Dana–Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; (M.T.); (S.P.); (R.R.)
- NOVA Medical School, NOVA University of Lisbon, 1099-085 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Mubin Tarannum
- NK Cell Gene Manipulation and Therapy Laboratory, Division of Cellular Therapy and Stem Cell Transplant, Dana–Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; (M.T.); (S.P.); (R.R.)
| | - Joana R. Lérias
- ImmunoTherapy/ImmunoSurgery, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Champalimaud Foundation, 1400-038 Lisbon, Portugal; (J.R.L.); (M.M.)
| | - Sara Piccinelli
- NK Cell Gene Manipulation and Therapy Laboratory, Division of Cellular Therapy and Stem Cell Transplant, Dana–Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; (M.T.); (S.P.); (R.R.)
| | - Luis Miguel Borrego
- Comprehensive Health Research Centre (CHRC), NOVA Medical School, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas (FCM), NOVA University of Lisbon, 1099-085 Lisbon, Portugal;
- Immunoallergy Department, Hospital da Luz, 1600-209 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Markus Maeurer
- ImmunoTherapy/ImmunoSurgery, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Champalimaud Foundation, 1400-038 Lisbon, Portugal; (J.R.L.); (M.M.)
- I Medical Clinic, University of Mainz, 55131 Mainz, Germany
| | - Rizwan Romee
- NK Cell Gene Manipulation and Therapy Laboratory, Division of Cellular Therapy and Stem Cell Transplant, Dana–Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; (M.T.); (S.P.); (R.R.)
| | - Mireia Castillo-Martin
- Molecular and Experimental Pathology Laboratory, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Champalimaud Foundation, 1400-038 Lisbon, Portugal;
- Pathology Service, Champalimaud Clinical Center, Champalimaud Foundation, 1400-038 Lisbon, Portugal
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23
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Karaselek MA, Kurar E, Keleş S, Güner ŞN, Reisli İ. Association of NK cell subsets and cytotoxicity with FCGR3A gene polymorphism in functional NK cell deficiency. REVISTA DA ASSOCIACAO MEDICA BRASILEIRA (1992) 2024; 70:e20230872. [PMID: 38422319 PMCID: PMC10903273 DOI: 10.1590/1806-9282.20230872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to assess the association between clinical, laboratory, and functional analyses and polymorphism in the FCGR3A gene in individuals with functional NK cell deficiency. METHODS A total of 15 functional NK cell deficiency patients and 10 age-matched healthy controls underwent NK cell subgroup, cytotoxicity, and FCGR3A whole-exome analysis with next-generation sequencing. RESULTS Three different NK cell subsets (CD56brightCD16neg, CD56brightCD16int, and CD56dimCD16hi) were identified. No statistically significant difference was found in the ratio of CD56brightCD16neg cells between patients and controls. CD56brightCD16int and CD56dimCD16hi ratios were found to be significantly lower in patients. As a result of NK cell cytotoxicity analysis, a proportional decrease of K562 amount between patients and controls was found to be statistically significant (p<0.001). In the FCGR3A whole-exome analysis, all patients were found to be homozygous mutant for the c.526G > T (p.V176F) in exon 4, while three patients were homozygous wild type and 12 patients were heterozygous for the c.197T>A (p.L66H) in exon 3. CONCLUSION In this study, a group of pediatric patients with suspected functional NK cell deficiency were evaluated and the findings indicated that NK subsets, cytotoxicity results, and FCGR3A gene polymorphism were found to be correlated with the clinical features. We conclude that this kind of study might contribute to follow-up the patients in time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehmet Ali Karaselek
- Necmettin Erbakan University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Biology - Konya, Turkey
| | - Ercan Kurar
- Necmettin Erbakan University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Biology - Konya, Turkey
| | - Sevgi Keleş
- Necmettin Erbakan University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatric Immunology and Allergy - Konya, Turkey
| | - Şükrü Nail Güner
- Necmettin Erbakan University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatric Immunology and Allergy - Konya, Turkey
| | - İsmail Reisli
- Necmettin Erbakan University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatric Immunology and Allergy - Konya, Turkey
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24
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Kaur K, Jewett A. Osteoclasts and Probiotics Mediate Significant Expansion, Functional Activation and Supercharging in NK, γδ T, and CD3+ T Cells: Use in Cancer Immunotherapy. Cells 2024; 13:213. [PMID: 38334605 PMCID: PMC10854567 DOI: 10.3390/cells13030213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Our previous studies have introduced osteoclasts (OCs) as major activators of NK cells. It was found that OCs exhibit the capabilities of inducing cell expansion as well as increasing the cytotoxic activity of NK cells by granule release and increasing the secretion of TNF-α and TRAIL, leading to increased lysis of tumors in short-term as well as long-term periods, respectively. OC- induced expanded NK cells were named supercharged NK cells (sNK) due to their significantly high functional activity as well as their significantly higher cell expansion rate. It is, however, unclear whether the OC-mediated effect in NK cells is specific or whether other cytotoxic immune cells can also be expanded and activated by OCs. We chose to focus on γδ T cells and pan T cells, which also include CD8+ T cells. In this paper, we report that OCs are capable of expanding and functionally activating both γδ T cells and pan T cells. Expanded γδ T and pan T cells were capable of secreting high levels of INF-γ, albeit with different dynamics to those of NK cells, and, moreover, they are unable to kill NK-specific targets. Since we used humanized-BLT (hu-BLT) mice as a model of human disease, we next determined whether NK and T cell activation through OCs is also evident in cells obtained from hu-BLT mice. Similar to humans, OCs were capable of increasing the cell expansion and secretion of IFN-γ in the culture of either NK or T cells from hu-BLT mice, providing yet further evidence that these mice are appropriate models to study human disease. Therefore, these studies indicated that CD3+ T or γδ T cells can proliferate and be supercharged by OCs similar to the NK cells; thus, they can be used individually or in combination in the cell therapy of cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kawaljit Kaur
- Division of Oral Biology and Medicine, School of Dentistry and Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA;
| | - Anahid Jewett
- Division of Oral Biology and Medicine, School of Dentistry and Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA;
- The Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, School of Dentistry and Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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25
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Portillo AL, Monteiro JK, Rojas EA, Ritchie TM, Gillgrass A, Ashkar AA. Charting a killer course to the solid tumor: strategies to recruit and activate NK cells in the tumor microenvironment. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1286750. [PMID: 38022679 PMCID: PMC10663242 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1286750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability to expand and activate natural Killer (NK) cells ex vivo has dramatically changed the landscape in the development of novel adoptive cell therapies for treating cancer over the last decade. NK cells have become a key player for cancer immunotherapy due to their innate ability to kill malignant cells while not harming healthy cells, allowing their potential use as an "off-the-shelf" product. Furthermore, recent advancements in NK cell genetic engineering methods have enabled the efficient generation of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-expressing NK cells that can exert both CAR-dependent and antigen-independent killing. Clinically, CAR-NK cells have shown promising efficacy and safety for treating CD19-expressing hematologic malignancies. While the number of pre-clinical studies using CAR-NK cells continues to expand, it is evident that solid tumors pose a unique challenge to NK cell-based adoptive cell therapies. Major barriers for efficacy include low NK cell trafficking and infiltration into solid tumor sites, low persistence, and immunosuppression by the harsh solid tumor microenvironment (TME). In this review we discuss the barriers posed by the solid tumor that prevent immune cell trafficking and NK cell effector functions. We then discuss promising strategies to enhance NK cell infiltration into solid tumor sites and activation within the TME. This includes NK cell-intrinsic and -extrinsic mechanisms such as NK cell engineering to resist TME-mediated inhibition and use of tumor-targeted agents such as oncolytic viruses expressing chemoattracting and activating payloads. We then discuss opportunities and challenges for using combination therapies to extend NK cell therapies for the treatment of solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana L. Portillo
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Centre for Discovery in Cancer Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Jonathan K. Monteiro
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Centre for Discovery in Cancer Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Eduardo A. Rojas
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Tyrah M. Ritchie
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Amy Gillgrass
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Centre for Discovery in Cancer Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Ali A. Ashkar
- Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- McMaster Immunology Research Centre, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Centre for Discovery in Cancer Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
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26
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Hegewisch-Solloa E, Nalin AP, Freud AG, Mace EM. Deciphering the localization and trajectory of human natural killer cell development. J Leukoc Biol 2023; 114:487-506. [PMID: 36869821 DOI: 10.1093/jleuko/qiad027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Innate immune cells represent the first line of cellular immunity, comprised of both circulating and tissue-resident natural killer cells and innate lymphoid cells. These innate lymphocytes arise from a common CD34+ progenitor that differentiates into mature natural killer cells and innate lymphoid cells. The successive stages in natural killer cell maturation are characterized by increased lineage restriction and changes to phenotype and function. Mechanisms of human natural killer cell development have not been fully elucidated, especially the role of signals that drive the spatial localization and maturation of natural killer cells. Cytokines, extracellular matrix components, and chemokines provide maturation signals and influence the trafficking of natural killer cell progenitors to peripheral sites of differentiation. Here we present the latest advances in our understanding of natural killer and innate lymphoid cell development in peripheral sites, including secondary lymphoid tissues (i.e. tonsil). Recent work in the field has provided a model for the spatial distribution of natural killer cell and innate lymphoid cell developmental intermediates in tissue and generated further insights into the developmental niche. In support of this model, future studies using multifaceted approaches seek to fully map the developmental trajectory of human natural killer cells and innate lymphoid cells in secondary lymphoid tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Everardo Hegewisch-Solloa
- Department of Pediatrics, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, 630 W 168th St. New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Ansel P Nalin
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, Medical Scientist Training Program, Comprehensive Cancer Center and The James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, The Ohio State University, 460 W 10th Ave. Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Aharon G Freud
- Department of Pathology, Comprehensive Cancer Center and The James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, The Ohio State University, 460 W 12th Ave. Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Emily M Mace
- Department of Pediatrics, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, 630 W 168th St. New York, NY 10032, USA
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27
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Panayi C, Akarca AU, Ramsay AD, Shankar AG, Falini B, Piris MA, Linch D, Marafioti T. Microenvironmental immune cell alterations across the spectrum of nodular lymphocyte predominant Hodgkin lymphoma and T-cell/histiocyte-rich large B-cell lymphoma. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1267604. [PMID: 37854674 PMCID: PMC10579566 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1267604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The clinicopathological spectrum of nodular lymphocyte predominant Hodgkin lymphoma (NLPHL), also known as nodular lymphocyte predominant B-cell lymphoma, partially overlaps with T-cell/histiocyte-rich large B-cell lymphoma (THRLCBL). NLPHL histology may vary in architecture and B-cell/T-cell composition of the tumour microenvironment. However, the immune cell phenotypes accompanying different histological patterns remain poorly characterised. Methods We applied a multiplexed immunofluorescence workflow to identify differential expansion/depletion of multiple microenvironmental immune cell phenotypes between cases of NLPHL showing different histological patterns (as described by Fan et al, 2003) and cases of THRLBCL. Results FOXP3-expressing T-regulatory cells were conspicuously depleted across all NLPHL cases. As histology progressed to variant Fan patterns C and E of NLPHL and to THRLBCL, there were progressive expansions of cytotoxic granzyme-B-expressing natural killer and CD8-positive T-cells, PD1-expressing CD8-positive T-cells, and CD163-positive macrophages including a PDL1-expressing subset. These occurred in parallel to depletion of NKG2A-expressing natural killer and CD8-positive T-cells. Discussion These findings provide new insights on the immunoregulatory mechanisms involved in NLPHL and THLRBCL pathogenesis, and are supportive of an increasingly proposed biological continuum between these two lymphomas. Additionally, the findings may help establish new biomarkers of high-risk disease, which could support a novel therapeutic program of immune checkpoint interruption targeting the PD1:PDL1 and/or NKG2A:HLA-E axes in the management of high-risk NLPHL and THRLBCL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christos Panayi
- Department of Cellular Pathology, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ayse U. Akarca
- University College London (UCL) Cancer Institute, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Alan D. Ramsay
- Department of Cellular Pathology, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ananth G. Shankar
- Children and Young People’s Cancer Services, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Brunangelo Falini
- Institute of Hematology and Center for Haemato-Oncological Research (CREO), University of Perugia and Santa Maria della Misericordia Hospital, Perugia, Italy
| | - Miguel A. Piris
- Pathology Department, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid, Spain
| | - David Linch
- Research Department of Haematology, Cancer Institute, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Teresa Marafioti
- Department of Cellular Pathology, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
- University College London (UCL) Cancer Institute, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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Motallebnejad P, Kantardjieff A, Cichocki F, Azarin SM, Hu WS. Process engineering of natural killer cell-based immunotherapy. Trends Biotechnol 2023; 41:1314-1326. [PMID: 37142447 PMCID: PMC10523923 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2023.03.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Cell therapy offers the potential for curative treatment of cancers. Although T cells have been the predominantly used cell type, natural killer (NK) cells have attracted great attention owing to their ability to kill cancer cells and because they are naturally suitable for allogeneic applications. Upon stimulation by cytokines or activation by a target cell, NK cells proliferate and expand their population. These cytotoxic NK cells can be cryopreserved and used as an off-the-shelf medicine. The production process for NK cells thus differs from that of autologous cell therapies. We briefly outline key biological features of NK cells, review the manufacturing technologies for protein biologics, and discuss their adaptation for developing robust NK cell biomanufacturing processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedram Motallebnejad
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | | | - Frank Cichocki
- Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Samira M Azarin
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Wei-Shou Hu
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
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29
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Razizadeh MH, Zafarani A, Taghavi-Farahabadi M, Khorramdelazad H, Minaeian S, Mahmoudi M. Natural killer cells and their exosomes in viral infections and related therapeutic approaches: where are we? Cell Commun Signal 2023; 21:261. [PMID: 37749597 PMCID: PMC10519079 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-023-01266-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Innate immunity is the first line of the host immune system to fight against infections. Natural killer cells are the innate immunity lymphocytes responsible for fighting against virus-infected and cancerous cells. They have various mechanisms to suppress viral infections. On the other hand, viruses have evolved to utilize different ways to evade NK cell-mediated responses. Viruses can balance the response by regulating the cytokine release pattern and changing the proportion of activating and inhibitory receptors on the surface of NK cells. Exosomes are a subtype of extracellular vesicles that are involved in intercellular communication. Most cell populations can release these nano-sized vesicles, and it was shown that these vesicles produce identical outcomes to the originating cell from which they are released. In recent years, the role of NK cell-derived exosomes in various diseases including viral infections has been highlighted, drawing attention to utilizing the therapeutic potential of these nanoparticles. In this article, the role of NK cells in various viral infections and the mechanisms used by viruses to evade these important immune system cells are initially examined. Subsequently, the role of NK cell exosomes in controlling various viral infections is discussed. Finally, the current position of these cells in the treatment of viral infections and the therapeutic potential of their exosomes are reviewed. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Hossein Razizadeh
- Department of Virology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Antimicrobial Resistance Research Center, Institute of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Alireza Zafarani
- Department of Hematology and Blood Banking, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahsa Taghavi-Farahabadi
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hossein Khorramdelazad
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran
| | - Sara Minaeian
- Antimicrobial Resistance Research Center, Institute of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Mohammad Mahmoudi
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
- Immunology Research Center, Institute of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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30
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da Costa AC, de Souza Barbosa LC, Kipnis A, Junqueira-Kipnis AP. Decreased Expression of CD314 by NK Cells Correlates with Their Ability to Respond by Producing IFN-γ after BCG Moscow Vaccination and Is Associated with Distinct Early Immune Responses. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:1297. [PMID: 37631865 PMCID: PMC10458680 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11081297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 07/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The immune response to vaccines is complex and results in various outcomes. BCG vaccination induces innate and specific responses that can lead to protection against tuberculosis, and cross-protection against other infections. NK cells have been associated with BCG-induced protection. Therefore, we hypothesize that differences in NK cell status before BCG vaccination may have a role in the ability of BCG to activate the immune response. Participants of a clinical trial were evaluated after BCG vaccination. The participants were assigned to different groups according to variation in IFN-γ expression by NK cells between days 1 and 15 after BCG vaccination. Individuals that presented a higher increase in IFN-γ expression by NK cells presented reduced CD314 expression at day 1, and after vaccination an increase in inflammatory NK cells and CD4 T-cell expression of IL-17. A negative correlation between expression of CD314 at day 1 and that of IFN-γ by NK cells after BCG vaccination was observed. Participants with lower of IFN-γ expression by NK cells after BCG vaccination presented an increase in the cytotoxic NK subpopulation and CD4 T-cell expression of IL-17 and IFN-γ. In conclusion, the expression of CD314 by NK cells before BCG vaccination influences their IFN-γ responses, generation of NK subpopulations, and the specific T immune response at 15 days after vaccination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adeliane Castro da Costa
- Campus Goiânia, Goiás Estácio de Sá University, Goiânia 74063-010, ZC, Brazil;
- Department of Biosciences and Technology, Institute of Tropical Pathology and Public Health, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia 74605-050, ZC, Brazil; (L.C.d.S.B.); (A.K.)
| | - Lília Cristina de Souza Barbosa
- Department of Biosciences and Technology, Institute of Tropical Pathology and Public Health, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia 74605-050, ZC, Brazil; (L.C.d.S.B.); (A.K.)
| | - André Kipnis
- Department of Biosciences and Technology, Institute of Tropical Pathology and Public Health, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia 74605-050, ZC, Brazil; (L.C.d.S.B.); (A.K.)
| | - Ana Paula Junqueira-Kipnis
- Department of Biosciences and Technology, Institute of Tropical Pathology and Public Health, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia 74605-050, ZC, Brazil; (L.C.d.S.B.); (A.K.)
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31
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Wang H, Wang A, Chen M, Gong M, Wu X, Zhen J, Lu Y. Abnormalities by Multicolor Flow Cytometry for Detection of Minimal Residual Disease in Recipients of Allo-HSCT Originating from Donors: A Cohort Study. Turk J Haematol 2023; 40:18-27. [PMID: 36718627 PMCID: PMC9979734 DOI: 10.4274/tjh.galenos.2022.2022.0365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective In minimal residual disease (MRD) analysis after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT), abnormal immunophenotyping is commonly considered as evidence of a secondary recurrence or complications, leading to overtreatment. We aimed to confirm whether such phenotypic abnormality might originate from donors using multicolor flow cytometry (MFC). Materials and Methods The MRD of bone marrow specimens of 3395 patients who had received allo-HSCT were analyzed using the conventional two-tube, eight-color MFC panel. The frequencies of abnormal immunophenotypes were also evaluated in three groups of patients without malignancies. Results The frequency of new abnormal polymorphisms was 0.088% (3/3395) among patients who received allo-HSCT. The abnormal cells seen in three patients in complete remission were Fcγ receptor IIIB (FcγRIIIB) gene deletion (CD16- neutrophils), CD2-CD159a-CD159c+ natural killer (NK) cells, and monoclonal B lymphocytosis (MBL), respectively. In addition, abnormal T-cells (CD4+CD8+) were detected in one donor before allo-HSCT. Identical abnormalities were found in the peripheral blood of the corresponding donors of the three patients via MFC. Among the individuals without malignancies, the incidence of FcγRIIIB deletion was 0.2% (11/5256), that of NK cells with the absence of CD2 and single-positive CD159c was 0.05% (1/2000), that of monoclonal CD4/CD8 double-positive T-cells was 0.05% (1/2000), and that of MBL was 1.3% (14/1100). The frequency of NK cells with the absence of CD2 was 1.3% (1/79) and with CD8dim was 14% (11/79) in NK cell lymphoma. The following abnormalities could be identified by the two-tube, eight-color MFC panel: cκ/cλ/CD19/CD5/CD20/ CD38/CD45/CD56 (adding CD10 and CD34 as the ninth and tenth colors) and CD16+CD56/CD5/CD3/CD7/CD4/CD8/CD2/CD45 (adding CD117 as the ninth color). Conclusion Abnormalities in recipients of allo-HSCT detected by MRD analysis may originate from their donors. Screening of donor specimens with a suitable two-tube, eight- to ten-color MFC panel may be a promising method for minimizing misdiagnoses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Wang
- Hebei Yanda Lu Daopei Hospital, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Langfang, China,* Address for Correspondence: Hebei Yanda Lu Daopei Hospital, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Langfang, China E-mail:
| | - Aixian Wang
- Hebei Yanda Lu Daopei Hospital, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Langfang, China
| | - Man Chen
- Beijing Lu Daopei Hospital, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Meiwei Gong
- Hebei Yanda Lu Daopei Hospital, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Langfang, China
| | - Xueying Wu
- Hebei Yanda Lu Daopei Hospital, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Langfang, China
| | - Junyi Zhen
- Hebei Yanda Lu Daopei Hospital, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Langfang, China
| | - Yue Lu
- Hebei Yanda Lu Daopei Hospital, Department of Stem Cell Transplantation, Langfang, China
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32
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Fares J, Davis ZB, Rechberger JS, Toll SA, Schwartz JD, Daniels DJ, Miller JS, Khatua S. Advances in NK cell therapy for brain tumors. NPJ Precis Oncol 2023; 7:17. [PMID: 36792722 PMCID: PMC9932101 DOI: 10.1038/s41698-023-00356-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite advances in treatment regimens that comprise surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, outcome of many brain tumors remains dismal, more so when they recur. The proximity of brain tumors to delicate neural structures often precludes complete surgical resection. Toxicity and long-term side effects of systemic therapy remain a concern. Novel therapies are warranted. The field of NK cell-based cancer therapy has grown exponentially and currently constitutes a major area of immunotherapy innovation. This provides a new avenue for the treatment of cancerous lesions in the brain. In this review, we explore the mechanisms by which the brain tumor microenvironment suppresses NK cell mediated tumor control, and the methods being used to create NK cell products that subvert immune suppression. We discuss the pre-clinical studies evaluating NK cell-based immunotherapies that target several neuro-malignancies and highlight advances in molecular imaging of NK cells that allow monitoring of NK cell-based therapeutics. We review current and ongoing NK cell based clinical trials in neuro-oncology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jawad Fares
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
- Northwestern Medicine Malnati Brain Tumor Institute, Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Zachary B Davis
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Oncology and Transplantation, Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55454, USA
| | - Julian S Rechberger
- Department of Neurologic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Stephanie A Toll
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Children's Hospital of Michigan, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA
| | - Jonathan D Schwartz
- Department of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Section of Neuro-Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - David J Daniels
- Department of Neurologic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Jeffrey S Miller
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Oncology and Transplantation, Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55454, USA.
| | - Soumen Khatua
- Department of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Section of Neuro-Oncology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA.
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33
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Mace EM. Human natural killer cells: Form, function, and development. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2023; 151:371-385. [PMID: 36195172 PMCID: PMC9905317 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2022.09.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Revised: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Human natural killer (NK) cells are innate lymphoid cells that mediate important effector functions in the control of viral infection and malignancy. Their ability to distinguish "self" from "nonself" and lyse virally infected and tumorigenic cells through germline-encoded receptors makes them important players in maintaining human health and a powerful tool for immunotherapeutic applications and fighting disease. This review introduces our current understanding of NK cell biology, including key facets of NK cell differentiation and the acquisition and execution of NK cell effector function. Further, it addresses the clinical relevance of NK cells in both primary immunodeficiency and immunotherapy. It is intended to provide an up-to-date and comprehensive overview of this important and interesting innate immune effector cell subset.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily M Mace
- Division of Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology, Department of Pediatrics, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York.
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34
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Maalej KM, Merhi M, Inchakalody VP, Mestiri S, Alam M, Maccalli C, Cherif H, Uddin S, Steinhoff M, Marincola FM, Dermime S. CAR-cell therapy in the era of solid tumor treatment: current challenges and emerging therapeutic advances. Mol Cancer 2023; 22:20. [PMID: 36717905 PMCID: PMC9885707 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-023-01723-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 284] [Impact Index Per Article: 142.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
In the last decade, Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR)-T cell therapy has emerged as a promising immunotherapeutic approach to fight cancers. This approach consists of genetically engineered immune cells expressing a surface receptor, called CAR, that specifically targets antigens expressed on the surface of tumor cells. In hematological malignancies like leukemias, myeloma, and non-Hodgkin B-cell lymphomas, adoptive CAR-T cell therapy has shown efficacy in treating chemotherapy refractory patients. However, the value of this therapy remains inconclusive in the context of solid tumors and is restrained by several obstacles including limited tumor trafficking and infiltration, the presence of an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, as well as adverse events associated with such therapy. Recently, CAR-Natural Killer (CAR-NK) and CAR-macrophages (CAR-M) were introduced as a complement/alternative to CAR-T cell therapy for solid tumors. CAR-NK cells could be a favorable substitute for CAR-T cells since they do not require HLA compatibility and have limited toxicity. Additionally, CAR-NK cells might be generated in large scale from several sources which would suggest them as promising off-the-shelf product. CAR-M immunotherapy with its capabilities of phagocytosis, tumor-antigen presentation, and broad tumor infiltration, is currently being investigated. Here, we discuss the emerging role of CAR-T, CAR-NK, and CAR-M cells in solid tumors. We also highlight the advantages and drawbacks of CAR-NK and CAR-M cells compared to CAR-T cells. Finally, we suggest prospective solutions such as potential combination therapies to enhance the efficacy of CAR-cells immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karama Makni Maalej
- Translational Cancer Research Facility, National Center for Cancer Care and Research, Translational Research Institute, Hamad Medical Corporation, P.O. Box: 3050, Doha, Qatar
| | - Maysaloun Merhi
- Translational Cancer Research Facility, National Center for Cancer Care and Research, Translational Research Institute, Hamad Medical Corporation, P.O. Box: 3050, Doha, Qatar.
| | - Varghese P Inchakalody
- Translational Cancer Research Facility, National Center for Cancer Care and Research, Translational Research Institute, Hamad Medical Corporation, P.O. Box: 3050, Doha, Qatar
| | - Sarra Mestiri
- Translational Cancer Research Facility, National Center for Cancer Care and Research, Translational Research Institute, Hamad Medical Corporation, P.O. Box: 3050, Doha, Qatar
| | - Majid Alam
- Translational Research Institute, Academic Health System, Dermatology Institute, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
- Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Cristina Maccalli
- Laboratory of Immune and Biological Therapy, Research Department, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
| | - Honar Cherif
- Department of Hematology, National Center for Cancer Care and Research, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Shahab Uddin
- Translational Research Institute, Academic Health System, Dermatology Institute, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Martin Steinhoff
- Translational Research Institute, Academic Health System, Dermatology Institute, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
- Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, Qatar
- Department of Dermatology, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, Doha, Qatar
- College of Medicine, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
- Department of Dermatology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, USA
| | | | - Said Dermime
- Translational Cancer Research Facility, National Center for Cancer Care and Research, Translational Research Institute, Hamad Medical Corporation, P.O. Box: 3050, Doha, Qatar.
- College of Health and Life Sciences (CHLS), Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar.
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35
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Smith MR, Satter LRF, Vargas-Hernández A. STAT5b: A master regulator of key biological pathways. Front Immunol 2023; 13:1025373. [PMID: 36755813 PMCID: PMC9899847 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1025373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription (STAT)-5 proteins are required in immune regulation and homeostasis and play a crucial role in the development and function of several hematopoietic cells. STAT5b activation is involved in the expression of genes that participate in cell development, proliferation, and survival. STAT5a and STAT5b are paralogs and only human mutations in STAT5B have been identified leading to immune dysregulation and hematopoietic malignant transformation. The inactivating STAT5B mutations cause impaired post-natal growth, recurrent infections and immune dysregulation, whereas gain of function somatic mutations cause dysregulated allergic inflammation. These mutations are rare, and they are associated with a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations which provide a disease model elucidating the biological mechanism of STAT5 by studying the consequences of perturbations in STAT5 activity. Further, the use of Jak inhibitors as therapy for a variety of autoimmune and malignant disorders has increased substantially heading relevant lessons for the consequences of Jak/STAT immunomodulation from the human model. This review summarizes the biology of the STAT5 proteins, human disease associate with molecular defects in STAT5b, and the connection between aberrant activation of STAT5b and the development of certain cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madison R. Smith
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Immunology, Allergy, and Retrovirology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States,William T. Shearer Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Human Immunobiology, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Lisa R. Forbes Satter
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Immunology, Allergy, and Retrovirology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States,William T. Shearer Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Human Immunobiology, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Alexander Vargas-Hernández
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Immunology, Allergy, and Retrovirology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States,William T. Shearer Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Human Immunobiology, Houston, TX, United States,*Correspondence: Alexander Vargas-Hernández,
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36
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Salinas SA, Mace EM, Conte MI, Park CS, Li Y, Rosario-Sepulveda JI, Mahapatra S, Moore EK, Hernandez ER, Chinn IK, Reed AE, Lee BJ, Frumovitz A, Gibbs RA, Posey JE, Forbes Satter LR, Thatayatikom A, Allenspach EJ, Wensel TG, Lupski JR, Lacorazza HD, Orange JS. An ELF4 hypomorphic variant results in NK cell deficiency. JCI Insight 2022; 7:e155481. [PMID: 36477361 PMCID: PMC9746917 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.155481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
NK cell deficiencies (NKD) are a type of primary immune deficiency in which the major immunologic abnormality affects NK cell number, maturity, or function. Since NK cells contribute to immune defense against virally infected cells, patients with NKD experience higher susceptibility to chronic, recurrent, and fatal viral infections. An individual with recurrent viral infections and mild hypogammaglobulinemia was identified to have an X-linked damaging variant in the transcription factor gene ELF4. The variant does not decrease expression but disrupts ELF4 protein interactions and DNA binding, reducing transcriptional activation of target genes and selectively impairing ELF4 function. Corroborating previous murine models of ELF4 deficiency (Elf4-/-) and using a knockdown human NK cell line, we determined that ELF4 is necessary for normal NK cell development, terminal maturation, and function. Through characterization of the NK cells of the proband, expression of the proband's variant in Elf4-/- mouse hematopoietic precursor cells, and a human in vitro NK cell maturation model, we established this ELF4 variant as a potentially novel cause of NKD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Andrea Salinas
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Emily M. Mace
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Matilde I. Conte
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | | | - Yu Li
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | | | - Sanjana Mahapatra
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Emily K. Moore
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Evelyn R. Hernandez
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Ivan K. Chinn
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Abigail E. Reed
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Barclay J. Lee
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Alexander Frumovitz
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Richard A. Gibbs
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, and
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | | | - Lisa R. Forbes Satter
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Akaluck Thatayatikom
- Division of Pediatric Allergy, Immunology, and Rheumatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Florida, Shands Children’s Hospital, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Eric J. Allenspach
- Division of Immunology, Seattle Children’s Hospital, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | | | - James R. Lupski
- Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, and
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | | | - Jordan S. Orange
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
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37
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Philpott DN, Chen K, Atwal RS, Li D, Christie J, Sargent EH, Kelley SO. Ultrathroughput immunomagnetic cell sorting platform. LAB ON A CHIP 2022; 22:4822-4830. [PMID: 36382608 DOI: 10.1039/d2lc00798c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
High-throughput phenotypic cell sorting is critical to the development of cell-based therapies and cell screening discovery platforms. However, current cytometry platforms are limited by throughput, number of fractionated populations that can be isolated, cell viability, and cost. We present an ultrathroughput microfluidic cell sorter capable of processing hundreds of millions of live cells per hour per device based on protein expression. This device, a next-generation microfluidic cell sorter (NG-MICS), combines multiple technologies, including 3D printing, reversible clamp sealing, and superhydrophobic treatments to create a reusable and user-friendly platform ready for deployment. The utility of such a platform is demonstrated through the rapid isolation of mature natural killer cells from peripheral blood mononuclear cells, for use in CAR-NK therapies at clinically-relevant scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- David N Philpott
- Edward S. Rogers Sr. Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kangfu Chen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Randy S Atwal
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Derek Li
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jessie Christie
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Edward H Sargent
- Edward S. Rogers Sr. Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Shana O Kelley
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
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38
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Metabolic signatures of immune cells in chronic kidney disease. Expert Rev Mol Med 2022; 24:e40. [PMID: 36268748 PMCID: PMC9884772 DOI: 10.1017/erm.2022.35] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Immune cells play a key role in maintaining renal dynamic balance and dealing with renal injury. The physiological and pathological functions of immune cells are intricately connected to their metabolic characteristics. However, immunometabolism in chronic kidney disease (CKD) is not fully understood. Pathophysiologically, disruption of kidney immune cells homeostasis causes inflammation and tissue damage via triggering metabolic reprogramming. The diverse metabolic characteristics of immune cells at different stages of CKD are strongly associated with their different pathological effect. In this work, we reviewed the metabolic characteristics of immune cells (macrophages, natural killer cells, T cells, natural killer T cells and B cells) and several non-immune cells, as well as potential treatments targeting immunometabolism in CKD. We attempt to elaborate on the metabolic signatures of immune cells and their intimate correlation with non-immune cells in CKD.
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39
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Hernandez R, Põder J, LaPorte KM, Malek TR. Engineering IL-2 for immunotherapy of autoimmunity and cancer. Nat Rev Immunol 2022; 22:614-628. [PMID: 35217787 DOI: 10.1038/s41577-022-00680-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 186] [Impact Index Per Article: 62.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Preclinical studies of the T cell growth factor activity of IL-2 resulted in this cytokine becoming the first immunotherapy to be approved nearly 30 years ago by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of cancer. Since then, we have learnt the important role of IL-2 in regulating tolerance through regulatory T cells (Treg cells) besides promoting immunity through its action on effector T cells and memory T cells. Another pivotal event in the history of IL-2 research was solving the crystal structure of IL-2 bound to its tripartite receptor, which spurred the development of cell type-selective engineered IL-2 products. These new IL-2 analogues target Treg cells to counteract the dysregulated immune system in the context of autoimmunity and inflammatory disorders or target effector T cells, memory T cells and natural killer cells to enhance their antitumour responses. IL-2 biologics have proven to be effective in preclinical studies and clinical assessment of some is now underway. These studies will soon reveal whether engineered IL-2 biologics are truly capable of harnessing the IL-2-IL-2 receptor pathway as effective monotherapies or combination therapies for autoimmunity and cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosmely Hernandez
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Janika Põder
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Kathryn M LaPorte
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Thomas R Malek
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA.
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40
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Targeting hypersialylation in multiple myeloma represents a novel approach to enhance NK cell-mediated tumor responses. Blood Adv 2022; 6:3352-3366. [PMID: 35294519 PMCID: PMC9198929 DOI: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2021006805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Hypersialylation in MM facilitates immune evasion of NK cells but can be overcome by targeted desialylation or genetic deletion of Siglec-7. Desialylation unmasks CD38 expression on MM cells, enhancing NK cell–mediated ADCC induced by CD38 targeting of monoclonal antibodies.
Abnormal glycosylation is a hallmark of cancer, and the hypersialylated tumor cell surface facilitates abnormal cell trafficking and drug resistance in several malignancies, including multiple myeloma (MM). Furthermore, hypersialylation has also been implicated in facilitating evasion of natural killer (NK) cell–mediated immunosurveillance but not in MM to date. In this study, we explore the role of hypersialylation in promoting escape from NK cells. We document strong expression of sialic acid-derived ligands for Siglec-7 (Siglec-7L) on primary MM cells and MM cell lines, highlighting the possibility of Siglec-7/Siglec-7L interactions in the tumor microenvironment. Interactomics experiments in MM cell lysates revealed PSGL-1 as the predominant Siglec-7L in MM. We show that desialylation, using both a sialidase and sialyltransferase inhibitor (SIA), strongly enhances NK cell–mediated cytotoxicity against MM cells. Furthermore, MM cell desialylation results in increased detection of CD38, a well-validated target in MM. Desialylation enhanced NK cell cytotoxicity against CD38+ MM cells after treatment with the anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody daratumumab. Additionally, we show that MM cells with low CD38 expression can be treated with all trans-retinoic acid (ATRA), SIA and daratumumab to elicit a potent NK cell cytotoxic response. Finally, we demonstrate that Siglec-7KO potentiates NK cell cytotoxicity against Siglec-7L+ MM cells. Taken together, our work shows that desialylation of MM cells is a promising novel approach to enhance NK cell efficacy against MM, which can be combined with frontline therapies to elicit a potent anti-MM response.
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41
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Busbee PB, Bam M, Yang X, Abdulla OA, Zhou J, Ginsberg JPJ, Aiello AE, Uddin M, Nagarkatti M, Nagarkatti PS. Dysregulated TP53 Among PTSD Patients Leads to Downregulation of miRNA let-7a and Promotes an Inflammatory Th17 Phenotype. Front Immunol 2022; 12:815840. [PMID: 35058939 PMCID: PMC8763839 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.815840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric disorder and patients diagnosed with PTSD often express other comorbid health issues, particularly autoimmune and inflammatory disorders. Our previous reports investigating peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from PTSD patients showed that these patients exhibit an increased inflammatory T helper (Th) cell phenotype and widespread downregulation of microRNAs (miRNAs), key molecules involved in post-transcriptional gene regulation. A combination of analyzing prior datasets on gene and miRNA expression of PBMCs from PTSD and Control samples, as well as experiments using primary PBMCs collected from human PTSD and Controls blood, was used to evaluate TP53 expression, DNA methylation, and miRNA modulation on Th17 development. In the current report, we note several downregulated miRNAs were linked to tumor protein 53 (TP53), also known as p53. Expression data from PBMCs revealed that compared to Controls, PTSD patients exhibited decreased TP53 which correlated with an increased inflammatory Th17 phenotype. Decreased expression of TP53 in the PTSD population was shown to be associated with an increase in DNA methylation in the TP53 promotor region. Lastly, the most significantly downregulated TP53-associated miRNA, let-7a, was shown to negatively regulate Th17 T cells. Let-7a modulation in activated CD4+ T cells was shown to influence Th17 development and function, via alterations in IL-6 and IL-17 production, respectively. Collectively, these studies reveal that PTSD patients could be susceptible to inflammation by epigenetic dysregulation of TP53, which alters the miRNA profile to favor a proinflammatory Th17 phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip B Busbee
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States
| | - Marpe Bam
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States
| | - Xiaoming Yang
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States
| | - Osama A Abdulla
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States
| | - Juhua Zhou
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States
| | - Jay Paul Jack Ginsberg
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States.,Departments of Psychophysiology, Clinical Psychology, and Research Office, Saybrook University, Pasadena, CA, United States
| | - Allison E Aiello
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina (UNC) Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Mcgavran-Greenberg Hall, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Monica Uddin
- Genomics Program, University of South Florida College of Public Health, Tampa, FL, United States
| | - Mitzi Nagarkatti
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States
| | - Prakash S Nagarkatti
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States
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42
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Biber G, Sabag B, Raiff A, Ben‐Shmuel A, Puthenveetil A, Benichou JIC, Jubany T, Levy M, Killner S, Barda‐Saad M. Modulation of intrinsic inhibitory checkpoints using nano-carriers to unleash NK cell activity. EMBO Mol Med 2022; 14:e14073. [PMID: 34725941 PMCID: PMC8749471 DOI: 10.15252/emmm.202114073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Revised: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells provide a powerful weapon mediating immune defense against viral infections, tumor growth, and metastatic spread. NK cells demonstrate great potential for cancer immunotherapy; they can rapidly and directly kill cancer cells in the absence of MHC-dependent antigen presentation and can initiate a robust immune response in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Nevertheless, current NK cell-based immunotherapies have several drawbacks, such as the requirement for ex vivo expansion of modified NK cells, and low transduction efficiency. Furthermore, to date, no clinical trial has demonstrated a significant benefit for NK-based therapies in patients with advanced solid tumors, mainly due to the suppressive TME. To overcome current obstacles in NK cell-based immunotherapies, we describe here a non-viral lipid nanoparticle-based delivery system that encapsulates small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) to gene silence the key intrinsic inhibitory NK cell molecules, SHP-1, Cbl-b, and c-Cbl. The nanoparticles (NPs) target NK cells in vivo, silence inhibitory checkpoint signaling molecules, and unleash NK cell activity to eliminate tumors. Thus, the novel NP-based system developed here may serve as a powerful tool for future NK cell-based therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guy Biber
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life SciencesBar‐Ilan UniversityRamat‐GanIsrael
| | - Batel Sabag
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life SciencesBar‐Ilan UniversityRamat‐GanIsrael
| | - Anat Raiff
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life SciencesBar‐Ilan UniversityRamat‐GanIsrael
| | - Aviad Ben‐Shmuel
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life SciencesBar‐Ilan UniversityRamat‐GanIsrael
| | - Abhishek Puthenveetil
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life SciencesBar‐Ilan UniversityRamat‐GanIsrael
| | - Jennifer I C Benichou
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life SciencesBar‐Ilan UniversityRamat‐GanIsrael
| | - Tammir Jubany
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life SciencesBar‐Ilan UniversityRamat‐GanIsrael
| | - Moria Levy
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life SciencesBar‐Ilan UniversityRamat‐GanIsrael
| | - Shiran Killner
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life SciencesBar‐Ilan UniversityRamat‐GanIsrael
| | - Mira Barda‐Saad
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life SciencesBar‐Ilan UniversityRamat‐GanIsrael
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43
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Kim JT, Zhang TH, Carmona C, Lee B, Seet CS, Kostelny M, Shah N, Chen H, Farrell K, Soliman MSA, Dimapasoc M, Sinani M, Blanco KYR, Bojorquez D, Jiang H, Shi Y, Du Y, Komarova NL, Wodarz D, Wender PA, Marsden MD, Sun R, Zack JA. Latency reversal plus natural killer cells diminish HIV reservoir in vivo. Nat Commun 2022; 13:121. [PMID: 35013215 PMCID: PMC8748509 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-27647-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
HIV is difficult to eradicate due to the persistence of a long-lived reservoir of latently infected cells. Previous studies have shown that natural killer cells are important to inhibiting HIV infection, but it is unclear whether the administration of natural killer cells can reduce rebound viremia when anti-retroviral therapy is discontinued. Here we show the administration of allogeneic human peripheral blood natural killer cells delays viral rebound following interruption of anti-retroviral therapy in humanized mice infected with HIV-1. Utilizing genetically barcoded virus technology, we show these natural killer cells efficiently reduced viral clones rebounding from latency. Moreover, a kick and kill strategy comprised of the protein kinase C modulator and latency reversing agent SUW133 and allogeneic human peripheral blood natural killer cells during anti-retroviral therapy eliminated the viral reservoir in a subset of mice. Therefore, combinations utilizing latency reversal agents with targeted cellular killing agents may be an effective approach to eradicating the viral reservoir.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jocelyn T Kim
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
| | - Tian-Hao Zhang
- Molecular Biology Institute, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Camille Carmona
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Bryanna Lee
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Christopher S Seet
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Matthew Kostelny
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Nisarg Shah
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Hongying Chen
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Kylie Farrell
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Mohamed S A Soliman
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Melanie Dimapasoc
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Michelle Sinani
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Kenia Yazmin Reyna Blanco
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - David Bojorquez
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Hong Jiang
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Yuan Shi
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Yushen Du
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Natalia L Komarova
- Department of Mathematics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Dominik Wodarz
- Department of Population Health and Disease Prevention, Program in Public Health Susan and Henry Samueli College of Health Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Paul A Wender
- Department of Chemistry and Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Matthew D Marsden
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics and Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Ren Sun
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.,School of Biomedical Sciences, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Jerome A Zack
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.,Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
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44
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Abstract
Autologous T cells expressing chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) have produced a spectacular response in hematological malignancies. This success of cellular therapy has inspired the exploration of the therapeutic potential of other immune cell types. In this regard, natural killer (NK) cells hold great potential as they can identify tumor cells by mechanisms that are different from those used by T cells and have a high cytotoxic capacity. Their capacity to recognize tumors and killing potency can be further enhanced by genetic modification. Our laboratory has developed a clinically adaptable method to manufacture genetically modified NK cells using retroviral vectors in compliance with current good manufacturing practice regulations. Here, we describe relevant technical procedures, including isolation of peripheral blood mononucleated cells from a leukapheresis product, T-cell depletion, stimulation and transduction of NK cells, and preparation of transduced NK cells for infusion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noriko Shimasaki
- Departments of Pediatrics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
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45
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Albar RF, Alsulimani EF, Alsalmi KA, Alnamlah A, Alhuzali A, Aljehani S. Natural Killer Cell Deficiency in Neuroblastoma Amplified Sequence Gene Mutation. Cureus 2021; 13:e19270. [PMID: 34881125 PMCID: PMC8643616 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.19270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural killer cell deficiency (NKD) occurs when decreased levels of such cells lead to major immunological deficiency in the patient. NK cells participate in tumor cell surveillance, viral infections, and immunoregulation in the body. We report a case of a nine-year-old female child, a known case of neuroblastoma amplified sequence (NBAS) gene mutation in the variant c.2819A>C (p. His940Pro), which causes infantile liver failure syndrome type 2 (ILFS2). The patient had been treated at four years of age for a three-day history of vesicular skin rashes in the L2 dermatome of the left leg, with pain and without swelling or redness, ear discharge, low appetite, and decreased activity. Also, she had already had multiple admissions due to different types of infections like viral hepatitis, urinary tract infection, Salmonella bacteremia, gastroenteritis, recurrent hepatitis, follicular tonsilitis, pneumonia, mastoiditis, and varicella-zoster infection. Flow cytometry revealed low levels of CD56+ and CD16+ (2%). Recently, she has shown improvement by gaining weight and appetite following interferon-beta 1a injection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rawia F Albar
- Pediatrics, King Abdulaziz Medical City, Jeddah, SAU
| | - Enad F Alsulimani
- Pediatrics, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences College of Medicine, Jeddah, SAU
| | - Khalid A Alsalmi
- Pediatrics, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences College of Medicine, Jeddah, SAU
| | - Abdulrahman Alnamlah
- Pediatrics, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences College of Medicine, Jeddah, SAU
| | - Abdullah Alhuzali
- Pediatrics, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences College of Medicine, Jeddah, SAU
| | - Saif Aljehani
- Pediatrics, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences College of Medicine, Jeddah, SAU
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46
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Heipertz EL, Zynda ER, Stav-Noraas TE, Hungler AD, Boucher SE, Kaur N, Vemuri MC. Current Perspectives on "Off-The-Shelf" Allogeneic NK and CAR-NK Cell Therapies. Front Immunol 2021; 12:732135. [PMID: 34925314 PMCID: PMC8671166 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.732135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural killer cells (NK cells) are the first line of the innate immune defense system, primarily located in peripheral circulation and lymphoid tissues. They kill virally infected and malignant cells through a balancing play of inhibitory and stimulatory receptors. In pre-clinical investigational studies, NK cells show promising anti-tumor effects and are used in adoptive transfer of activated and expanded cells, ex-vivo. NK cells express co-stimulatory molecules that are attractive targets for the immunotherapy of cancers. Recent clinical trials are investigating the use of CAR-NK for different cancers to determine the efficiency. Herein, we review NK cell therapy approaches (NK cell preparation from tissue sources, ways of expansion ex-vivo for "off-the-shelf" allogeneic cell-doses for therapies, and how different vector delivery systems are used to engineer NK cells with CARs) for cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica L. Heipertz
- Cell & Gene Therapy, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Evan R. Zynda
- BioProduction, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Grand Island, NY, United States
| | | | - Andrew D. Hungler
- Cell & Gene Therapy, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Shayne E. Boucher
- Cell & Gene Therapy, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Navjot Kaur
- Cell & Gene Therapy, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Frederick, MD, United States
| | - Mohan C. Vemuri
- Cell & Gene Therapy, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Frederick, MD, United States
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47
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Barnes SA, Trew I, de Jong E, Foley B. Making a Killer: Selecting the Optimal Natural Killer Cells for Improved Immunotherapies. Front Immunol 2021; 12:765705. [PMID: 34777383 PMCID: PMC8578927 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.765705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the past 20 years natural killer (NK) cell-based immunotherapies have emerged as a safe and effective treatment option for patients with relapsed or refractory leukemia. Unlike T cell-based therapies, NK cells harbor an innate capacity to eliminate malignant cells without prior sensitization and can be adoptively transferred between individuals without the need for extensive HLA matching. A wide variety of therapeutic NK cell sources are currently being investigated clinically, including allogeneic donor-derived NK cells, stem cell-derived NK cells and NK cell lines. However, it is becoming increasingly clear that not all NK cells are endowed with the same antitumor potential. Despite advances in techniques to enhance NK cell cytotoxicity and persistence, the initial identification and utilization of highly functional NK cells remains essential to ensure the future success of adoptive NK cell therapies. Indeed, little consideration has been given to the identification and selection of donors who harbor NK cells with potent antitumor activity. In this regard, there is currently no standard donor selection criteria for adoptive NK cell therapy. Here, we review our current understanding of the factors which govern NK cell functional fate, and propose a paradigm shift away from traditional phenotypic characterization of NK cell subsets towards a functional profile based on molecular and metabolic characteristics. We also discuss previous selection models for NK cell-based immunotherapies and highlight important considerations for the selection of optimal NK cell donors for future adoptive cell therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha A Barnes
- Telethon Kids Institute, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA, Australia.,School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
| | - Isabella Trew
- Telethon Kids Institute, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA, Australia.,School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
| | - Emma de Jong
- Telethon Kids Institute, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA, Australia
| | - Bree Foley
- Telethon Kids Institute, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA, Australia
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48
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Borst L, Sluijter M, Sturm G, Charoentong P, Santegoets SJ, van Gulijk M, van Elsas MJ, Groeneveldt C, van Montfoort N, Finotello F, Trajanoski Z, Kiełbasa SM, van der Burg SH, van Hall T. NKG2A is a late immune checkpoint on CD8 T cells and marks repeated stimulation and cell division. Int J Cancer 2021; 150:688-704. [PMID: 34716584 PMCID: PMC9299709 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.33859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Revised: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The surface inhibitory receptor NKG2A forms heterodimers with the invariant CD94 chain and is expressed on a subset of activated CD8 T cells. As antibodies to block NKG2A are currently tested in several efficacy trials for different tumor indications, it is important to characterize the NKG2A+ CD8 T cell population in the context of other inhibitory receptors. Here we used a well‐controlled culture system to study the kinetics of inhibitory receptor expression. Naïve mouse CD8 T cells were synchronously and repeatedly activated by artificial antigen presenting cells in the presence of the homeostatic cytokine IL‐7. The results revealed NKG2A as a late inhibitory receptor, expressed after repeated cognate antigen stimulations. In contrast, the expression of PD‐1, TIGIT and LAG‐3 was rapidly induced, hours after first contact and subsequently down regulated during each resting phase. This late, but stable expression kinetics of NKG2A was most similar to that of TIM‐3 and CD39. Importantly, single‐cell transcriptomics of human tumor‐infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) showed indeed that these receptors were often coexpressed by the same CD8 T cell cluster. Furthermore, NKG2A expression was associated with cell division and was promoted by TGF‐β in vitro, although TGF‐β signaling was not necessary in a mouse tumor model in vivo. In summary, our data show that PD‐1 reflects recent TCR triggering, but that NKG2A is induced after repeated antigen stimulations and represents a late inhibitory receptor. Together with TIM‐3 and CD39, NKG2A might thus mark actively dividing tumor‐specific TILs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Borst
- Department of Medical Oncology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Marjolein Sluijter
- Department of Medical Oncology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Gregor Sturm
- Institute of Bioinformatics, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Pornpimol Charoentong
- Department of Medical Oncology, National Center for Tumor Diseases, University Hospital Heidelberg, Applied Tumor Immunity, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Saskia J Santegoets
- Department of Medical Oncology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Mandy van Gulijk
- Department of Pulmonology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marit J van Elsas
- Department of Medical Oncology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Christianne Groeneveldt
- Department of Medical Oncology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Nadine van Montfoort
- Department of Medical Oncology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Francesca Finotello
- Institute of Bioinformatics, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Zlatko Trajanoski
- Institute of Bioinformatics, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Szymon M Kiełbasa
- Department of Biomedical Data Sciences, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Sjoerd H van der Burg
- Department of Medical Oncology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Thorbald van Hall
- Department of Medical Oncology, Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
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Roma S, Carpen L, Raveane A, Bertolini F. The Dual Role of Innate Lymphoid and Natural Killer Cells in Cancer. from Phenotype to Single-Cell Transcriptomics, Functions and Clinical Uses. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13205042. [PMID: 34680190 PMCID: PMC8533946 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13205042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), a family of innate immune cells including natural killers (NKs), play a multitude of roles in first-line cancer control, in escape from immunity and in cancer progression. In this review, we summarize preclinical and clinical data on ILCs and NK cells concerning their phenotype, function and clinical applications in cellular therapy trials. We also describe how single-cell transcriptome sequencing has been used and forecast how it will be used to better understand ILC and NK involvement in cancer control and progression as well as their therapeutic potential. Abstract The role of innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), including natural killer (NK) cells, is pivotal in inflammatory modulation and cancer. Natural killer cell activity and count have been demonstrated to be regulated by the expression of activating and inhibitory receptors together with and as a consequence of different stimuli. The great majority of NK cell populations have an anti-tumor activity due to their cytotoxicity, and for this reason have been used for cellular therapies in cancer patients. On the other hand, the recently classified helper ILCs are fundamentally involved in inflammation and they can be either helpful or harmful in cancer development and progression. Tissue niche seems to play an important role in modulating ILC function and conversion, as observed at the transcriptional level. In the past, these cell populations have been classified by the presence of specific cellular receptor markers; more recently, due to the advent of single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), it has been possible to also explore them at the transcriptomic level. In this article we review studies on ILC (and NK cell) classification, function and their involvement in cancer. We also summarize the potential application of NK cells in cancer therapy and give an overview of the most recent studies involving ILCs and NKs at scRNA-seq, focusing on cancer. Finally, we provide a resource for those who wish to start single-cell transcriptomic analysis on the context of these innate lymphoid cell populations.
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Arnesen VS, Gras Navarro A, Chekenya M. Challenges and Prospects for Designer T and NK Cells in Glioblastoma Immunotherapy. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:4986. [PMID: 34638471 PMCID: PMC8507952 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13194986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Revised: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most prevalent, aggressive primary brain tumour with a dismal prognosis. Treatment at diagnosis has limited efficacy and there is no standardised treatment at recurrence. New, personalised treatment options are under investigation, although challenges persist for heterogenous tumours such as GBM. Gene editing technologies are a game changer, enabling design of novel molecular-immunological treatments to be used in combination with chemoradiation, to achieve long lasting survival benefits for patients. Here, we review the literature on how cutting-edge molecular gene editing technologies can be applied to known and emerging tumour-associated antigens to enhance chimeric antigen receptor T and NK cell therapies for GBM. A tight balance of limiting neurotoxicity, avoiding tumour antigen loss and therapy resistance, while simultaneously promoting long-term persistence of the adoptively transferred cells must be maintained to significantly improve patient survival. We discuss the opportunities and challenges posed by the brain contexture to the administration of the treatments and achieving sustained clinical responses.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrea Gras Navarro
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, Jonas Lies Vei 91, 5009 Bergen, Norway
| | - Martha Chekenya
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, Jonas Lies Vei 91, 5009 Bergen, Norway
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