Immune Cell Function and Interaction

Cancer cells suppress NK activity by actin-driven polarisation of inhibitory ligands at the synapse

This study shows cancer cells evade NK cell cytotoxicity by polarizing inhibitory ligands at the synapse via actin remodeling.

Gene-modified NK Cells Expressing CD64 and Pre-loaded with HIV-specific BNAbs Target Autologous HIV-1 Infected CD4+ T Cells by ADCC.

This study modifies NK cells to express CD64 and pre-load them with HIV-specific BNAbs, enhancing their ability to target HIV-infected CD4+ T cells via ADCC.

Decoupling individual host response and immune cell engager cytotoxic potency

The paper measures cytotoxicity of bispecific antibodies using NK cells and introduces a model to decouple host response from engager characteristics.

CD20+ natural killer cells are polyfunctional, memory-like cells that are enriched in inflammatory disorders

This study identifies CD20-expressing NK cells with enhanced functionality, memory-like features, and enrichment in inflammatory diseases.

Acidic pH attenuates immune killing through inactivation of perforin

This study shows acidic pH inhibits perforin pore formation, reducing immune cell killing of target cells in solid tumors.

A novel and potent MICA/B antibody is therapeutically effective in KRAS LKB1 mutant lung cancer models

This paper develops a novel MICA/B-targeting antibody that enhances NK cell activity and shows therapeutic efficacy in KRAS LKB1 mutant lung cancer models.

NK cells control the progression of myelodysplastic syndrome but become initial disease target in NUP98-HOXD13 mouse model

The paper shows NK cells control MDS progression but are dysregulated in NUP98-HOXD13 mice, with genetic markers shared between mice and human MDS/AML.

Kir6.1, a component of an ATP-sensitive potassium channel, regulates natural killer cell development

This study identifies Kir6.1 as a key regulator of natural killer cell development in mice, showing its expression in mature NK cells and its role in NK-cell differentiation.

Automated and closed clinical-grade manufacturing protocol produces potent NK cells against neuroblastoma cells and AML blasts

This paper describes a GMP-compliant protocol for producing potent NK cells against AML and neuroblastoma using an automated platform, showing increased activation and killing efficacy.

Conditional activation of NK cell function using chemically synthetic constrained bicyclic peptides directed against NKp46 and tumor-expressed antigens

This paper develops synthetic peptides that activate NK cells to kill tumor cells by binding to NKp46 and tumor antigens, leading to cytokine secretion and enhanced anti-tumor immunity.

Biologically-informed Killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR) gene annotation tool

BAKIR improves KIR gene annotation accuracy by using a biologically-informed pipeline on phased genome assemblies, enhancing variant calling and allele identification.

Universal protection of allogeneic cell therapies from natural killer cells via CD300a agonism

This paper develops CD300a TASR, an engineered ligand that universally protects HLA-deficient allogeneic T cells from NK cell rejection and enhances CAR-T efficacy.

Advancing Adoptive Cell Therapy: Optimized Expansion of Adaptive NK Cells for Solid Tumors

This study shows that IL-21 enhances aNK cell expansion and cytotoxicity against tumors, with tumor lysate boosting their efficacy, validated in a zebrafish model.

Expression of a single inhibitory member of the Ly49 receptor family is sufficient to license NK cells for effector functions

This study shows that a single inhibitory Ly49 receptor is sufficient to license NK cells and mediate missing-self recognition in vivo.

Human NK cell responses to the SARS-CoV-2 Spike269-277 peptide YLQPRTFLL

This study investigates the effect of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike269-277 peptide YLQPRTFLL on human NK cell responses and finds it has limited influence.

The HLA-E/NKG2A axis identifies a therapeutic vulnerability in BCG-unresponsive bladder cancer

This study identifies the HLA-E/NKG2A axis as a therapeutic target in BCG-unresponsive bladder cancer by showing its role in immune evasion and impaired effector cell function.

Genetic Diversity and Structural Complexity of the Killer-Cell Immunoglobulin-Like Receptor Gene Complex: A Comprehensive Analysis using Human Pangenome Assemblies

The paper develops a tool to analyze KIR gene diversity using pangenome assemblies and identifies novel alleles and structural variants in human genomes.

Bona fide cytotoxic iNKT cells with superior antitumour responses identified in mice and humans

This study identifies specific iNKT cell subsets in mice and humans with enhanced antitumor activity, suggesting potential improvements for adoptive cell therapies.

NK Cell Exhaustion in Wilson's Disease Revealed by Single-cell RNA Sequencing Predicts the Prognosis of Cholecystitis

This study uses single-cell RNA sequencing to show NK cell exhaustion in Wilson's disease is linked to worse cholecystitis outcomes.

HLA-E-VL9 antibodies enhance NK cell and CD8+ T cell cytotoxicity against HIV-infected CD4+ T cells

This study develops anti-HLA-E-VL9 antibodies that enhance NK and CD8+ T cell cytotoxicity against HIV-infected cells by blocking NKG2A/CD94 interactions and promoting ADCC.

Enhanced IL-15-mediated NK cell activation and proliferation by an ADAM17 function-blocking antibody involves CD16A, CD137, and accessory cells

This study shows that an ADAM17-blocking antibody enhances IL-15-mediated NK cell activation and proliferation through CD16A and CD137, with potential therapeutic applications in cancer.

Syngeneic natural killer cell therapy activates dendritic and T cells in metastatic lungs and effectively treats low-burden metastases

This study shows that autologous NK cell therapy activates dendritic and T cells in metastatic lungs and effectively treats low-burden metastases in a mouse model and a clinical trial.

One N-glycan regulates natural killer cell antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity and modulates Fc γ receptor IIIa / CD16a structure

This study identifies an N-glycan at position N162 that enhances FcγRIIIa/CD16a antibody-binding affinity and NK cell ADCC by stabilizing the FG loop structure.

Natural Killer Cell Dysfunction In Human Bladder Cancer Is Caused By Tissue-Specific Suppression of SLAMF6 Signaling

This study identifies SLAMF6 signaling suppression in bladder cancer tumor microenvironment as a cause of NK cell dysfunction, showing restoration of function under normoxic conditions.

Epithelial IL-2 is critical for NK cell-mediated cancer immunosurveillance in mammary glands

The paper identifies epithelial IL-2 as critical for maintaining NK cell function in mammary glands, leading to improved immunosurveillance and prevention of tumor development.

Complete genomic assembly of Mauritian cynomolgus macaque killer immunoglobulin-like receptor and natural killer group 2 haplotypes

The paper assembles KIR and NKG2 genomic haplotypes in Mauritian cynomolgus macaques using long-read sequencing and develops a strategy for genotyping using short-read data.

Natural Killer cells demonstrate distinct eQTL and transcriptome-wide disease associations, highlighting their role in autoimmunity

The paper identifies eQTL specific to NK cells and links them to autoimmunity through transcriptome-wide association studies.

KIR gene content imputation from single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the Finnish population

The paper imputes KIR gene content from SNPs in the Finnish population with high accuracy using a stand-alone model trained on biobank data.

KIRCLE: An Analysis of Variations in KIR Genes in The Cancer Genome Atlas and UK Biobank

The paper develops KIRCLE to genotype KIR genes from whole exome sequencing data and analyzes its associations with HLA alleles and clinical traits in TCGA and UK Biobank.

Spatially Resolved In Silico Modeling of NKG2D Signaling Kinetics Reveals Key role of NKG2D and Vav1 Co-clustering in Generating Natural Killer cell Activation

The paper develops an in silico model to study NKG2D signaling kinetics in NK cells, showing that co-clustering of NKG2D and Vav1 enhances phospho-Vav1 production and influences activation.