Tissue localization of natural killer cells dictates surveillance of lung metastasis.

ABSTRACT: The lung is a common metastatic site for various cancer types. Successful immune surveillance of lung metastasis depends on Natural Killer (NK) cells, but the underlying mechanisms are elusive. Here, we show that the pulmonary vasculature recruits and maintains highly cytotoxic, differentiated CD11b^high NK cells through the integrins Lymphocyte Function-associated Antigen 1 (LFA-1) and Very Late Antigen (VLA-4). These NK cells rapidly eradicate metastasizing tumor cells within the vasculature. However, after the initial clearing phase, differentiated pulmonary NK cells largely remain intravascular and fail to track extravasated tumor cells. In contrast, metastatic nodules are preferentially infiltrated with circulating, less differentiated CD27^high NK cells. Within th

SUBMITTER: Vermeer M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12559431 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature