A human NK cell progenitor that originates in the thymus and generates KIR⁺NKG2A^- NK cells.

ABSTRACT: KIR+NKG2A- natural killer (NK) cells have the unique ability to detect down-regulation of single HLA-I allotypes, frequently occurring in malignantly transformed and virus-infected cells. We have recently shown that circulating innate lymphoid cells 1 (cILC1s) have the potential to generate such KIR+NKG2A- NK cells, but their developmental origin was unknown. Here, we demonstrate that the development of cILC1 is thymus dependent and identify a putative progenitor of cILC1s in the thymus (thyILC1). Single-cell RNA sequencing analysis revealed a close relationship of thyILC1s to CD34+ double-negative thymocytes. Both generated comparable NK cell frequencies, while only thyILC1s could be efficiently differentiated into KIR+NKG2A- NK cells. Last, patients with FOXN1 haploinsufficiency, showing

SUBMITTER: Reiß J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12333686 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature