scholarly journals Viral Infection of Human Natural Killer Cells

Viruses ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 243 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisabeth van Erp ◽  
Mirjam van Kampen ◽  
Puck van Kasteren ◽  
Jelle de Wit
Keyword(s):  
Viral Infection ◽  
Nk Cells ◽  
Natural Killer ◽  
Viral Entry ◽  
Viral Infections ◽  
Nk Cell ◽  
Cell Infection ◽  
Comprehensive Overview ◽  
Human Natural Killer Cells ◽  
Syncytial Virus

Natural killer (NK) cells are essential in the early immune response against viral infections, in particular through clearance of virus-infected cells. In return, viruses have evolved multiple mechanisms to evade NK cell-mediated viral clearance. Several unrelated viruses, including influenza virus, respiratory syncytial virus, and human immunodeficiency virus, can directly interfere with NK cell functioning through infection of these cells. Viral infection can lead to immune suppression, either by downregulation of the cytotoxic function or by triggering apoptosis, leading to depletion of NK cells. In contrast, some viruses induce proliferation or changes in the morphology of NK cells. In this review article, we provide a comprehensive overview of the viruses that have been reported to infect NK cells, we discuss their mechanisms of entry, and describe the interference with NK cell effector function and phenotype. Finally, we discuss the contribution of virus-infected NK cells to viral load. The development of specific therapeutics, such as viral entry inhibitors, could benefit from an enhanced understanding of viral infection of NK cells, opening up possibilities for the prevention of NK cell infection.

scholarly journals Activation Status Dictates the Function of Unlicensed Natural Killer Cells

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ethan G Aguilar ◽  
Cordelia Dunai ◽  
Sean J. Judge ◽  
Anthony Elston Zamora ◽  
Lam T. Khuat ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Viral Infection ◽  
Nk Cells ◽  
Natural Killer ◽  
Viral Infections ◽  
Nk Cell ◽  
T Cell Response ◽  
High Dose ◽  
Hematopoietic Stem ◽  
Innate Defense ◽  
Activation Status

Natural Killer (NK) cells are involved in innate defense against viral infection and cancer. NK cells can be divided into subsets based on the ability of different receptors to bind to major histocompatibility (MHC) class I molecules resulting in differential responses upon activation in a process called "licensing" or "arming". NK cells expressing receptors that bind self-MHC are considered licensed due to augmented effector lytic function capability compared to unlicensed subsets. However, we demonstrated unlicensed NK subsets instead positively regulate the adaptive T cell response during viral infections due to localization and cytokine production. We demonstrate here that the differential effects of the two types of NK subsets is contingent on the environment using viral infection and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) models. Infection of mice with high-dose (HD) MCMV leads to a loss of licensing-associated differences as compared to mice with low-dose infection, as the unlicensed NK subset no longer localized in lymph nodes (LN), but instead remained at the site of infection. Similarly, the patterns observed during HD infection paralleled with the phenotypes of both human and mouse NK cells in a HSCT setting where NK cells exhibit an activated phenotype. However, in contrast to effects of subset depletion in T-replete models, the licensed NK cell subsets still dominated anti-viral responses post-HSCT. Overall, our results highlight the intricate tuning of the NK cells and how it impacts overall immune responses with regard to licensing patterns, as it is dependent on the level of stimulation and their activation status.

scholarly journals Generation of human natural killer cells from immature progenitors does not require marrow stromal cells

Blood ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 84 (3) ◽  
pp. 841-846 ◽  
Author(s):  
MR Silva ◽  
R Hoffman ◽  
EF Srour ◽  
JL Ascensao
Keyword(s):  
Nk Cells ◽  
Natural Killer ◽  
Mononuclear Cells ◽  
Viral Infections ◽  
Nk Cell ◽  
Interleukin 2 ◽  
Peripheral Blood Mononuclear ◽  
Specific Lysis ◽  
Human Natural Killer Cells

Abstract Human natural killer (NK) cells comprise 10% to 15% of peripheral blood mononuclear cells and have an important role in immune responses against tumors, viral infections, and graft rejection. NK cells originate in bone marrow (BM), but their progenitors and lineage development have not been completely characterized. We studied the generation of NK cells from purified CD34+HLADR- and CD34+HLADR+ BM progenitors and the influence of various cytokines on their production. We show that CD3-CD56+ cytotoxic NK cells can develop from both progenitors populations when interleukin-2 (IL-2) is present in an in vitro suspension culture system containing IL-1 alpha and stem cell factor. Up to 83.8% and 98.6% CD3-CD56+ cells were detected in CD34+HLADR- and CD34+DR+ cultures, respectively, after 5 weeks of culture; significant numbers of NK cells were first detected after 2 weeks. Cytotoxic activity paralleled NK cell numbers; up to 70% specific lysis at an effector:target ratio of 10:1 was observed at 5 weeks. IL-7 also triggered development of CD3-CD56+ cells from these immature progenitors (up to 24% and 55% appeared in CD34+HLADR- and CD34+HLADR+ cultures, respectively). Our data suggest that BM stromas are not necessary for NK cell development and that IL-2 remains essential for this lineage development and differentiation.

scholarly journals Generation of human natural killer cells from immature progenitors does not require marrow stromal cells

Blood ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 84 (3) ◽  
pp. 841-846 ◽  
Author(s):  
MR Silva ◽  
R Hoffman ◽  
EF Srour ◽  
JL Ascensao
Keyword(s):  
Nk Cells ◽  
Natural Killer ◽  
Mononuclear Cells ◽  
Viral Infections ◽  
Nk Cell ◽  
Interleukin 2 ◽  
Peripheral Blood Mononuclear ◽  
Specific Lysis ◽  
Human Natural Killer Cells

Human natural killer (NK) cells comprise 10% to 15% of peripheral blood mononuclear cells and have an important role in immune responses against tumors, viral infections, and graft rejection. NK cells originate in bone marrow (BM), but their progenitors and lineage development have not been completely characterized. We studied the generation of NK cells from purified CD34+HLADR- and CD34+HLADR+ BM progenitors and the influence of various cytokines on their production. We show that CD3-CD56+ cytotoxic NK cells can develop from both progenitors populations when interleukin-2 (IL-2) is present in an in vitro suspension culture system containing IL-1 alpha and stem cell factor. Up to 83.8% and 98.6% CD3-CD56+ cells were detected in CD34+HLADR- and CD34+DR+ cultures, respectively, after 5 weeks of culture; significant numbers of NK cells were first detected after 2 weeks. Cytotoxic activity paralleled NK cell numbers; up to 70% specific lysis at an effector:target ratio of 10:1 was observed at 5 weeks. IL-7 also triggered development of CD3-CD56+ cells from these immature progenitors (up to 24% and 55% appeared in CD34+HLADR- and CD34+HLADR+ cultures, respectively). Our data suggest that BM stromas are not necessary for NK cell development and that IL-2 remains essential for this lineage development and differentiation.

scholarly journals Homeostatic proliferation generates long-lived natural killer cells that respond against viral infection

2011 ◽  
Vol 208 (2) ◽  
pp. 357-368 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph C. Sun ◽  
Joshua N. Beilke ◽  
Natalie A. Bezman ◽  
Lewis L. Lanier
Keyword(s):  
Viral Infection ◽  
Nk Cells ◽  
Natural Killer ◽  
Viral Infections ◽  
Radiation Treatment ◽  
Nk Cell ◽  
Clinical Importance ◽  
Homeostatic Proliferation ◽  
And Function ◽  
Turn Over

Cells of the immune system undergo homeostatic proliferation during times of lymphopenia induced by certain viral infections or caused by chemotherapy and radiation treatment. Natural killer (NK) cells are no exception and can rapidly expand in number when placed into an environment devoid of these cells. We explored the lifespan and function of mouse NK cells that have undergone homeostatic proliferation in various settings of immunodeficiency. Adoptive transfer of mature NK cells into lymphopenic mice resulted in the generation of a long-lived population of NK cells. These homeostasis-driven NK cells reside in both lymphoid and nonlymphoid organs for >6 mo and, similar to memory T cells, self-renew and slowly turn over at steady state. Furthermore, homeostatically expanded NK cells retained their functionality many months after initial transfer and responded robustly to viral infection. These findings highlight the ability of mature NK cells to self-renew and possibly persist in the host for months or years and might be of clinical importance during NK cell adoptive immunotherapy for the treatment of certain cancers.

scholarly journals CRISPR-Cas9–Mediated TIM3 Knockout in Human Natural Killer Cells Enhances Growth Inhibitory Effects on Human Glioma Cells

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (7) ◽  
pp. 3489
Author(s):  
Takayuki Morimoto ◽  
Tsutomu Nakazawa ◽  
Ryosuke Matsuda ◽  
Fumihiko Nishimura ◽  
Mitsutoshi Nakamura ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cell ◽  
Nk Cells ◽  
Natural Killer ◽  
Nk Cell ◽  
Protein Complexes ◽  
Lymphocyte Activation ◽  
Exon 2 ◽  
Effector Cells ◽  
Guide Rna ◽  
Human Natural Killer Cells

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and aggressive primary malignant brain tumor in adults. Natural Killer (NK) cells are potent cytotoxic effector cells against tumor cells inducing GBM cells; therefore, NK cell based- immunotherapy might be a promising target in GBM. T cell immunoglobulin mucin family member 3 (TIM3), a receptor expressed on NK cells, has been suggested as a marker of dysfunctional NK cells. We established TIM3 knockout in NK cells, using the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9). Electroporating of TIM3 exon 2- or exon 5-targeting guide RNA- Cas9 protein complexes (RNPs) inhibited TIM3 expression on NK cells with varying efficacy. T7 endonuclease I mutation detection assays showed that both RNPs disrupted the intended genome sites. The expression of other checkpoint receptors, i.e., programmed cell death 1 (PD1), Lymphocyte-activation gene 3 (LAG3), T cell immunoreceptor with Ig and ITIM domains (TIGIT), and TACTILE (CD96) were unchanged on the TIM3 knockout NK cells. Real time cell growth assays revealed that TIM3 knockout enhanced NK cell–mediated growth inhibition of GBM cells. These results demonstrated that TIM3 knockout enhanced human NK cell mediated cytotoxicity on GBM cells. Future, CRISPR-Cas9 mediated TIM3 knockout in NK cells may prove to be a promising immunotherapeutic alternative in patient with GBM.

Human natural killer cells: a unique innate immunoregulatory role for the CD56bright subset

Blood ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 97 (10) ◽  
pp. 3146-3151 ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan A. Cooper ◽  
Todd A. Fehniger ◽  
Sarah C. Turner ◽  
Kenneth S. Chen ◽  
Bobak A. Ghaheri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Immune Response ◽  
Nk Cells ◽  
Natural Killer ◽  
Innate Immune Response ◽  
Nk Cell ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
Interferon Γ ◽  
Innate Immune ◽  
Immunoregulatory Cytokines ◽  
Human Natural Killer Cells

Abstract During the innate immune response to infection, monocyte-derived cytokines (monokines), stimulate natural killer (NK) cells to produce immunoregulatory cytokines that are important to the host's early defense. Human NK cell subsets can be distinguished by CD56 surface density expression (ie, CD56bright and CD56dim). In this report, it is shown that CD56bright NK cells produce significantly greater levels of interferon-γ, tumor necrosis factor-β, granulocyte macrophage–colony-stimulating factor, IL-10, and IL-13 protein in response to monokine stimulation than do CD56dim NK cells, which produce negligible amounts of these cytokines. Further, qualitative differences in CD56bright NK-derived cytokines are shown to be dependent on the specific monokines present. For example, the monokine IL-15 appears to be required for type 2 cytokine production by CD56bright NK cells. It is proposed that human CD56bright NK cells have a unique functional role in the innate immune response as the primary source of NK cell–derived immunoregulatory cytokines, regulated in part by differential monokine production.

scholarly journals Human natural killer cells can inhibit clonogenic growth of fresh leukemic cells

Blood ◽  
1983 ◽  
Vol 61 (3) ◽  
pp. 596-599 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Beran ◽  
M Hansson ◽  
R Kiessling
Keyword(s):  
Nk Cells ◽  
Natural Killer ◽  
Nk Cell ◽  
Colony Growth ◽  
Inhibitory Effect ◽  
Leukemic Cells ◽  
Target Cells ◽  
Human Natural Killer Cells ◽  
Release Assay

Abstract The effect of allogenic human natural killer (NK) cells on fresh leukemic cells from three patients was investigated. The low levels of leukemic target cell lysis in the conventional 51Cr-release assay contrasted with a pronounced inhibitory effect on the colony growth of the clonogeneic leukemic target cells (L-CFC). The ability of allogeneic lymphocytes to inhibit L-CFC increased if they were pretreated with interferon (IFN), which also increased their NK activity, monitored in parallel cytotoxicity assay, against K562. Furthermore, cell separation procedures, based on differences in density among nonadherent lymphocytes, revealed that only NK cell containing fractions were inhibitory. We have also compared the susceptibility to NK-mediated L-CFC inhibition of IFN pretreated leukemic target cells with that of nontreated target cells. As in the case of NK lysis in general, this pretreatment of target cells abolished the presumably NK-mediated L-CFC inhibition. In conclusion, these data provide the first indication that NK cells can inhibit the in vitro growth of fresh clonogenic leukemia cells from patients with nonlymphocytic leukemia. The identity of NK cells as effector is strongly suggested by Percoll separation and responsiveness to interferon; the final proof awaits more sophisticated purification of these cells.

scholarly journals Dysregulation of Natural Killer Cells in Obesity

Cancers ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 573 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donal O’Shea ◽  
Andrew E. Hogan
Keyword(s):  
Nk Cells ◽  
Natural Killer ◽  
Cell Biology ◽  
Viral Infections ◽  
Nk Cell ◽  
Viral Immunity ◽  
Host Protection ◽  
Cell Functions ◽  
Innate Lymphocytes ◽  
The Impact

Natural killer (NK) cells are a population of lymphocytes which classically form part of the innate immune system. They are defined as innate lymphocytes, due to their ability to kill infected or transformed cells without prior activation. In addition to their cytotoxic abilities, NK cells are also rapid producers of inflammatory cytokines such as interferon gamma (IFN-γ) and are therefore a critical component of early immune responses. Due to these unique abilities, NK cells are a very important component of host protection, especially anti-tumour and anti-viral immunity. Obesity is a worldwide epidemic, with over 600 million adults and 124 million children now classified as obese. It is well established that individuals who are obese are at a higher risk of many acute and chronic conditions, including cancer and viral infections. Over the past 10 years, many studies have investigated the impact of obesity on NK cell biology, detailing systemic dysregulation of NK cell functions. More recently, several studies have investigated the role of NK cells in the homeostasis of adipose tissue and the pathophysiology of obesity. In this review, we will discuss in detail these studies and focus on emerging data detailing the metabolic mechanisms altering NK cells in obesity.

Evidence for Killing of Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSC) by Autologous Natural Killer Lymphocytes.

Blood ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 104 (11) ◽  
pp. 1290-1290 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandro Poggi ◽  
Anna-Maria Massaro ◽  
Simone Negrini ◽  
Ivana Pierri ◽  
Manuela Balocco ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Mesenchymal Stem Cells ◽  
T Lymphocytes ◽  
Nk Cells ◽  
Natural Killer ◽  
Viral Infections ◽  
Nk Cell ◽  
Cell Lineage ◽  
Culture Conditions ◽  
Inhibitory Receptors

Abstract In this study, Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSC) were obtained from bone marrow of 10 patients suffering from acute myeloid leukemia (AML), six M0/1 two M2, and two M5 (according to the FAB classification), 8 out of 10 in post-chemotherapy complete remission. These cells differentiated into adipocytes or osteoblasts under appropriate culture conditions. MSC were CD44+, CD73a+ CD73b+ CD105+, beta1 integrin+, ICAM1+, HLA-I+, HLA-II+ (variable proportions), CD45−, CD31−, CD34− and they constitutively expressed the stress-inducible MHC-related molecules MIC-A and the UL16 (induced at the surface of cells infected by cytomegalovirus) binding protein ULBP3. These molecules are reported ligands for the NKG2D receptor expressed by natural killer (NK) and CD8+ T lymphocytes, effector cells that are thought to play a role in host defence against tumors. NK cells have also been shown to regulate normal differentiation of hemopoietic precursor into the myeloid or lymphoid cell lineage. Moreover, it has been stated that NK cells are not able to damage autologous cells, as they receive negative signals through inhibitory receptors, including killer Ig-like receptors (KIR) or C-type lectin inhibitory receptors (CLIR), which bind to HLA-I discrete alleles. Surprisingly, we found that autologous IL2-activated, but not freshly isolated, NK cells lysed MSC, while T lymphocytes did not kill self or non-self MSC. Binding of ICAM-1 expressed by MSC to its receptor, the integrin LFA-1, expressed by NK cells plays a key role in MSC/NK interaction. More importantly, NKG2D/MICA and/or NKG2D/ULBP3 engagement is responsible for the delivery of lethal hit. Conversely, it appears that HLA-I molecules do not protect MSC from NK cell-mediated injury. Taken together, these data suggest that NK cells, when activated as it may occur during the first response to viral infections, are able to eliminate MSC, thus altering the normal interactions with hemopoietic precursors and possibly affecting their differentiation. This mechanism might also contribute to the development of aberrant precursors as observed in acute leukaemias.

scholarly journals Human natural killer cells

Blood ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 112 (3) ◽  
pp. 461-469 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael A. Caligiuri
Keyword(s):  
Immune System ◽  
Nk Cells ◽  
Natural Killer ◽  
Nk Cell ◽  
Immune Surveillance ◽  
Cell Receptor ◽  
Human Malignancy ◽  
Human Natural Killer Cells ◽  
Receptor Biology ◽  
Granular Lymphocytes

Abstract Natural killer (NK) cells were discovered more than 30 years ago. NK cells are large granular lymphocytes that belong to the innate immune system because unlike T or B lymphocytes of the adaptive or antigen-specific immune system, NK cells do not rearrange T-cell receptor or immunoglobulin genes from their germline configuration. During the past 2 decades there has been a substantial gain in our understanding of what and how NK-cells “see,” lending important insights into their functions and purpose in normal immune surveillance. The most recent discoveries in NK-cell receptor biology have fueled translational research that has led to remarkable results in treating human malignancy.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document