Project description:Purified NK cells from human liver tissues were first enriched by MACS using NK Cell Isolation Kit (Miltenyi Biotec, German) and CD49a+/- hepatic NK cells were isolated by FACS Aria cell sorter (BD Biosciences, United States) to attain a purity greater than 95%.
Project description:CD49a+ natural killer (NK) cells are critical in promoting fetal development and maintaining immune tolerance at the maternal-fetal interface in early pregnancy. However, their tissue residency in human tissue hinder thorough studies and clinical application. How to induce functional human CD49a+ NK cells that could benefit pregnancy outcomes is still unknown. Here, we have established three no feeder cell induction systems to induce human CD49a+ NK cells from umbilical cord blood hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), bone marrow HSCs or peripheral blood NK cells, respectively. These induced NK cells (iNKs) from three cell induction systems show high expression of CD49a, CD9, CD39, CD151, low expression of CD16, and no obvious cytotoxic capability, phenotypically and functionally similar with decidual NK cells. Furthermore, these iNKs also have high expression of growth-promoting factors and proangiogenic factors. Importantly, these iNKs have shown their capabilities to promote fetal growth and improve uterine artery blood flow in a murine pregnancy model in vivo. This research reveals properties of human-induced CD49a+ NK cells in promoting fetal growth from three cell induction systems, which may improve the feasibility of applying these iNKs to the patients having adverse pregnancy outcomes.
Project description:Human lung tissue-resident NK cells (trNK cells) are likely to play important roles in viral infections, inflammation and cancer. However, knowledge about lung trNK cells is lacking but is fundamental for exploiting these cells in therapeutic approaches. Here we analysed the transcriptome of CD69+CD49a+CD103+CD16-CD56bright, CD69+CD49a+CD103-CD16-CD56bright, CD69+CD49a-CD103-CD16-CD56bright, CD69-CD49a-CD103-CD16-CD56bright, and CD56dimCD16+NKG2A+CD57- NK cells isolated from human lung.
Project description:Natural killer (NK) cells are pivotal effectors in antiviral immunity, yet their tissue-specific roles during acute HIV infection remain poorly defined. Using an ex vivo human tonsillar tissue model, we profile NK cell responses to early HIV infection and uncover distinct subsets with specialized functions. We identify a previously uncharacterized memory-like NK population (CD16⁺/⁻CD69⁺CD49a⁺CD103⁺NKG2C⁺) associated with reduced viral burden and enriched in cytotoxic mediators (GNLY, PRF1, GZMB), apoptotic ligands (FASLG, TRAIL), cytokine receptors (IL2RA, ILR2B, IL2RG, IL12RB2, IL18R1) and trafficking molecules (CCL3–5, CCR7, SELL). These cells coexpress NKG2A, suggesting a regulatory balance between activation and inhibition. Although functionally capable of clearing HIV-infected CD4⁺ T cells in a tissue-mimetic environment, they show impaired cytotoxicity and transcriptional signs of exhaustion after infection. Conversely, HIV drives the reprogramming of immature CD16⁻CD69⁺ NK cells toward a more cytotoxic and migratory effector phenotype. These findings reveal dynamic NK cell adaptations in lymphoid tissue during early HIV infection and highlight tissue-resident NK cells as promising targets for immunotherapeutic intervention.
Project description:Adaptive features of natural killer (NK) cells have been reported in various species with different underlying mechanisms. It is unclear, however, which NK cell populations are capable of mounting antigen-specific recall responses, and how such functions are regulated at the molecular level. Here we identify and characterize a discrete population of CD49a+CD16- NK cells in the human liver that display increased epigenetic potential to elicit memory responses and has the functional properties to exert antigen-specific immunity on the skin as an effector site. Integrated chromatin-based epigenetic and transcriptomic profiling revealed unique characteristics of hepatic CD49a+CD16- NK cells when compared to conventional CD49a-CD16+ NK cells thereby defining active genomic regions and molecules underpinning distinct NK cell reactivity. In contrast to conventional NK cells, our results suggest adaptive CD49a+CD16- NK cells to be able to bypass the KIR receptor-ligand system upon antigen-specific stimulation. Furthermore, these cells were highly migratory towards chemokine gradients expressed in epicutaneous patch test lesions as an effector site of adaptive immune responses of the skin. These results define pathways operative in human antigen-specific memory NK cells and provide a roadmap for harnessing this NK cell subset for specific therapeutic or prophylactic vaccine strategies.
Project description:Mice were weaned onto standard RM1 diet or onto a highly palatable obesogenic diet (824018 – ‘45% AFE fat) supplemented with condensed milk. After 12 weeks, mice were killed, and liver NK cells (Lin- NK1.1+ CD49a- CD49b+) or ILC1 (Lin- NK1.1+ CD49a+ CD49b-) were sorted. Total RNA was extracted from sorted cells, cDNA generated and RNASeq performed.