Trogocytosis-based generation of suppressive NK cells.

ABSTRACT: Trogocytosis is a fast uptake of membranes and associated molecules from one cell by another. Trogocytosis between natural killer (NK) cells and tumors is already described, but the functional relevance of NK-tumor targets material exchange is unclear. We investigated whether the immunosuppressive molecule HLA-G that is commonly expressed by tumors in vivo and known to block NK cytolytic function, could be transferred from tumor cells to NK cells, and if this transfer had functional consequences. We show that activated NK cells acquire HLA-G1 from tumor cells, and that upon this acquisition, NK cells stop proliferating, are no longer cytotoxic, and behave as suppressor cells. Such cells can inhibit other NK cells' cytotoxic function and protect NK-sensitive tumor cells from cytolysis. Thes

SUBMITTER: Caumartin J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1817622 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature