NK cells clear α-synuclein and the depletion of NK cells exacerbates synuclein pathology in a mouse model of α-synucleinopathy.

ABSTRACT: The pathological hallmark of synucleinopathies, including Lewy body dementia and Parkinson's disease (PD), is the presence of Lewy bodies, which are primarily composed of intracellular inclusions of misfolded α-synuclein (α-syn) among other proteins. α-Syn is found in extracellular biological fluids in PD patients and has been implicated in modulating immune responses in the central nervous system (CNS) and the periphery. Natural killer (NK) cells are innate effector lymphocytes that are present in the CNS in homeostatic and pathological conditions. NK cell numbers are increased in the blood of PD patients and their activity is associated with disease severity; however, the role of NK cells in the context of α-synucleinopathies has never been explored. Here, we show that human NK cells can

SUBMITTER: Earls RH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6983411 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature