Project description:Natural killer (NK) cells represent promising tools for cancer immunotherapy. We report the optimization of an NK cell activation–expansion process and its validation on clinical-scale. Activated and expanded NK cells (NKAE) were obtained by coculturing total peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) or CD45RA+ cells with irradiated K562mbIL15-41BBL or K562mbIL21-41BBL. Transcriptome profile showed to be different between basal NK cells and NKAE cells expanded with K562mbIL21-41BBL or K562mbIL15-41BBL
Project description:We compared transcriptome of different types of NK cells including obtained from peripheral Blood (PB-NK), derived from human ES cell, H9-NK, derived from human iPSC (iPSC-NK), derived from CD34+ cells from umbilical cord blood (UCB-NK), NKcell line (NK92) and 3 cancer cell lines (K562, Raji and Jurkat). When comparing the similarity of the NK cells populations by the number of differentially expressed genes to iPSC NK cells, there were the fewest differentially expressed genes in the comparison with the UCB NK cells, followed by the PB-NK cells, followed by the H9 embryonic stem cell derived-NK cells and lastly by the NK92 cell line.
Project description:We compared transcriptome of different types of NK cells including obtained from Umbilical Blood (UCB-NK) from 3 donors, both UCB56 NK cells that were isolated from the UCB unit as well as UCB34 NK cells that were differentiated from CD34+ cells, and derived from human iPSC (iPSC-NK), pre and post antigen presenting cell expansion. When comparing the similarity of the NK cells populations by the number of differentially expressed genes to iPSC NK cells, there were the pre and post expansion cells clustered together
Project description:NK cells may acquire under certain conditions features of adaptive immune cells. As the functional role of memory NK cells in cancer has so far remained elusive, we reasoned whether tumor-priming itself might promote memory NK cell generation. We provide substantial evidence that independent from pro-inflammatory stimulation, tumor-induced memory-like (TIML) NK cells exhibit a heightened, tumor-restricted cytotoxicity which is dependent on a higher/faster perforin but not IFN-γ release. Comparative transcriptome analysis reveals that gene expression patterns differ between TIML- and Cytokine-induced memory-like (CIML)-NK cells.
Project description:Epigenetic landscapes can provide insight into regulation of gene expression and cellular diversity. Here, we examined the transcriptional and epigenetic profiles of seven human blood NK cell populations, including adaptive NK cells. The BCL11B gene, encoding a transcription factor (TF) essential for T cell development and function, was the most extensively regulated, with expression increasing throughout NK cell differentiation. Several Bcl11b-regulated genes associated with T cell-signaling were specifically expressed in adaptive NK cell subsets. Regulatory networks revealed reciprocal regulation at distinct stages of NK cell differentiation, with Bcl11b repressing RUNX2 and ZBTB16 in canonical and adaptive NK cells, respectively. A critical role for Bcl11b in driving NK cell differentiation was corroborated in BCL11B mutated patients and by ectopic Bcl11b expression. Moreover, Bcl11b was required for adaptive NK cell responses in a murine CMV model, supporting expansion of these cells. Together, we define the TF regulatory circuitry of human NK cells and uncover a critical role for Bcl11b in promoting NK cell differentiation and function.
Project description:NK cells are lymphocytes that provide a first defense against viral infections and cancer. They act (i) cytotoxic by killing virus-infected and tumorigenic cells and (ii) immune regulatory by releasing cytokines and chemokines. These innate immune cells are commonly further classified as CD56bright and CD56dim NK cells. Former studies confirmed immune regulatory CD56bright NK cells as progenitors of cytotoxic CD56dim NK cells. CD57 was previously described as T cell marker for senescence and terminal differentiation. Recent studies detected CD57+ and CD57- NK cells among the CD56dim NK cell population and suggested a fully mature developmental status for CD57+ NK cells. The recent NK cell maturation model includes CD34+ hematopoietic stem cells (HSC), which develop into CD56bright NK cells, later into CD56dimCD57- and finally into terminally maturated CD56dimCD57+ (1) (2) (3). The molecular mechanisms of human NK cell differentiation and maturation remain unknown to this date. We performed for the first time a proteomic analysis of these distinct developmental stages of human primary NK cells, isolated from overall 10 healthy human blood donors. CD56bright NK cells versusCD56dim and CD56dimCD57- versus CD56dimCD57+ NK cells were analyzed by using quantitative peptide sequencing, which revealed individual protein signatures (3400 proteins) of these different NK cell developmental stages. Notably, our data support the current NK cell differentiation model by highlighting both strong distinctions between CD56dim/bright NK cells and close relationships between CD57+/- NK cells on the proteomic level. Among the most prominent and conserved regulated proteins, we detected myosin IIa, Calvasculin and Calcyclin with very similar expression patterns. We investigated their sub-cellular localization and observed specific recruitment- and accumulation-events at the NK cell immunological synapse (NKIS) after NK activation.
Project description:NK cells are part of the innate immune system and therefore directly involved in the response to a Candida albicans infection. Our aim is to better understand the interaction of NK cells and C.albicans cells. Natural Killer cells (NK cells) were isolated from blood of 3 different donors and coincubated with Candida albicans. Transcriptome analysis was performed after 3 and 6 hours using an Illumina HumanHT-12 v4 Expression BeadChip.
Project description:Natural killer (NK) cells contribute to immunosurveillance and first-line defense in the control of tumor growth and metastasis diffusion. NKEVs are constitutively secreted, are biologically active, reflect the protein and genetic repertoire of their originating cells and exert anti-tumor activity in vitro and in vivo. NKEVs from tumor-conditioned NK cells interact with naïve NK cells promoting their cytotoxic activity. In cancer NK cells exhibit profound defects in degranulation ability, a status probably reflected by their NKEVs. Hence, NKEVs could contribute to improve cancer therapy by interacting with tumor and/or immune cells at the same time sensing the actual NK cell status in cancer patients. Here we investigated the role of NKEVs in stimulating the immune system and developed an immune enzymatic test (NKExoELISA) to sense the systemic NK cell status by measuring plasma NK-derived exosomes through combined capture of exosomes, expressing typical EV (tsg101) and NK cell (CD56) markers. We analyzed by LC-MS/MS the protein content from NKEVs evaluating proteins differentially expressed in exosomes (NKExo), vescicles (NKMV) and total cell extract (Tot extr) from parental NK cells. Proteomic data confirmed the presence of many EV markers and detected several proteins involved in immune response, cell adhesion and complement biological processes.