Transcriptomic signatures of NK cells suggest impaired responsiveness in HIV-1 infection and increased activity post-vaccination

Natural killer cell-associated prognosis model characterizes immune landscape and treatment efficacy of diffuse large B cell lymphoma

PURPOSE

NK cells are essential for the detection, identification and prediction of cancer. However, so far, there is no prognostic risk model based on NK cell-related genes to predict the prognosis and treatment outcome of DLBCL patients. This study aimed to explore a risk assessment model that could accurately predict the prognosis and treatment efficacy of DLBCL.

METHODS

Bioinformatics analysis of the expression profiles of DLBCL samples in the GEO database was performed. Cox regression and LASSO regression analysis were used to determine NK cell-related genes associated with patient's prognosis. Based on these genes, a risk assessment model was constructed to predict the prognosis of patients and the effectiveness of treatment. Finally, qRT-PCR was used to verify the expression of gene tags in clinical samples.

RESULTS

We identified seven prognosis-related NK cell-related genes (MAP2K1, PRKCB, TNFRSF10B, IL18, LAMP1, RASGRP1, and SP110), and DLBCL patients were divided into low- and high-risk groups based on these genes. Survival analysis showed that the prognosis of patients with low-risk group was better. Pathway enrichment analysis showed that the differentially expressed genes between the two risk groups were related to immune response pathways. Compared with the high-risk group, the low-risk group had higher infiltration of immune cells in tumor tissues. Besides, compared with high-risk group, low-risk patients by immunotherapy or other commonly used anti-tumor drugs might have better efficacy after treatment. In addition, qRT-PCR showed that the expression of risk genes including TNFRSF10B, IL18 and LAMP1 were significantly increased in most DLBCL samples compared to control samples, while the expression of protective genes including MAP2K1, PRKCB, RASGRP1 and SP110 were significantly decreased.

CONCLUSION

The NK cell-related gene signatures were proved to be a reliable indicator of the success of immunotherapy in patients with DLBCL, thus providing a unique evaluation method.

Delving deeper into the mechanisms fundamental to HIV-associated immunopathology using single-cell sequencing techniques: A scoping review of current literature

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection has evolved into an established global pandemic over the past four decades; however, despite massive research investment globally, the precise underlying mechanisms which are fundamental to HIV-related pathogenesis remain unclear. Single cell ribonucleic acid (RNA) sequencing methods are increasingly being used for the identification of specific cell-type transcriptional changes in HIV infection. In this scoping review, we have considered information extracted from fourteen published HIV-associated single-cell RNA sequencing-related studies, hoping to throw light on the underlying mechanisms of HIV infection and pathogenesis, and to explore potential candidate biomarkers for HIV disease progression and antiviral treatment. Generally, HIV positive individuals tend to manifest disturbances of frequency of multiple cellular types, and specifically exhibit diminished levels of CD4+ T-cells and enriched numbers of CD8+ T-cells. Cell-specific transcriptional changes tend to be linked to cell permissiveness, hyperacute or acute HIV infection, viremia, and cell productivity. The transcriptomes of CD4+ T-cell and CD8+ T-cell subpopulations are also observed to change in HIV-positive diabetic individuals, spontaneous HIV controllers, individuals with high levels of HIV viremia, and those in an acute phase of HIV infection. The transcriptional changes seen in B cells, natural killer (NK) cells, and myeloid dendritic cells (mDCs) of HIV-infected individuals demonstrate that the humoral immune response, antiviral response, and immune response regulation, respectively, are all altered following HIV infection. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) plays a crucial role in achieving immune reconstitution, in improving immunological disruption, and in mitigating immune system imbalances in HIV-infected individuals, while not fully restoring inherent cellular transcription to levels seen in HIV-negative individuals. The preceding observations not only illustrate compelling advances in the understanding of HIV-associated immunopathogenesis, but also identify specific cell-type transcriptional changes that may serve as potential biomarkers for HIV disease monitoring and therapeutic targeting.

NKG2A genetic deletion promotes human primary NK cell anti-tumor responses better than an anti-NKG2A monoclonal antibody

Natural killer (NK) cells eliminate infected or cancer cells via their cytotoxic capacity. NKG2A is an inhibitory receptor on NK cells and cancer cells often overexpress its ligand HLA-E to evade NK cell surveillance. Given the successes of immune checkpoint blockade in cancer therapy, NKG2A is an interesting novel target. However, anti-NKG2A antibodies have shown limited clinical response. In the pursuit of enhancing NK cell-mediated anti-tumor responses, we devised a Cas9-based strategy to delete KLRC1, encoding NKG2A, in human primary NK cells. Our approach involved electroporation of KLRC1-targeting Cas9 ribonucleoprotein resulting in effective ablation of NKG2A expression. Compared with anti-NKG2A antibody blockade, NKG2AKO NK cells exhibited enhanced activation, reduced suppressive signaling, and elevated expression of key transcription factors. NKG2AKO NK cells overcame inhibition from HLA-E, significantly boosting NK cell activity against solid and hematologic cancer cells. We validated this efficacy across multiple cell lines, a xenograft mouse model, and primary human leukemic cells. Combining NKG2A knockout with antibody coating of tumor cells further enhanced cytotoxicity through ADCC. Thus, we provide a comprehensive comparison of inhibition of the NKG2A pathway using genetic ablation and antibodies and provide novel insight in the observed differences in molecular mechanisms, which can be translated to enhance adoptive NK cell immunotherapy.

Elotuzumab Enhances CD16-Independent NK Cell-Mediated Cytotoxicity against Myeloma Cells by Upregulating Several NK Cell-Enhancing Genes

Multiple myeloma (MM) is an intractable hematological malignancy caused by abnormalities in plasma cells. Combination therapy using antibodies and natural killer (NK) effectors, which are innate immune cells with safe and potent antitumor activity, is a promising approach for cancer immunotherapy and can enhance antitumor effects. Elotuzumab (Elo) is an immune-stimulatory antibody that targets the signaling lymphocytic activation molecule family 7 (SLAMF7) expressed on the surface of MM and NK cells. We confirmed that Elo strongly promoted NK cell-mediated antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) against SLAMF7-positive MM cells in a CD16-dependent NK cell line, and also activated expanded NK cells derived from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of healthy donors and patients with MM in the present study. However, the antitumor effects and genes involved in the direct promotion of NK cell-mediated activation using Elo in CD16-independent NK cells are not clearly known. In this study, we demonstrated that Elo pretreatment significantly enhanced CD16-independent NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity in both SLAMF7-positive MM.1S and SLAMF7-negative K562, U266, and RPMI 8226 tumor cells. Upon direct simulation of CD16-independent NK cells with Elo, increased levels of CD107a degranulation and IFN-γ secretion were observed along with the upregulation of granzyme B, TNF-α, and IL-1α gene expression. The enhanced NK cell function could also be attributed to the increased expression of the transcription factors T-BET and EOMES. Furthermore, the augmentation of the antitumor effects of CD16-independent NK cells upon pretreatment with Elo enhanced the expression of CRTAM, TNFRSF9, EAT-2, and FOXP3 genes and reduced the expression of HSPA6. Our results suggest that Elo directly promotes the cytotoxic function of CD16-independent NK cells against target cells, which is associated with the upregulation of the expression of several NK cell-enhancing genes.

Single-cell functional genomics reveals determinants of sensitivity and resistance to natural killer cells in blood cancers

Cancer cells can evade natural killer (NK) cell activity, thereby limiting anti-tumor immunity. To reveal genetic determinants of susceptibility to NK cell activity, we examined interacting NK cells and blood cancer cells using single-cell and genome-scale functional genomics screens. Interaction of NK and cancer cells induced distinct activation and type I interferon (IFN) states in both cell types depending on the cancer cell lineage and molecular phenotype, ranging from more sensitive myeloid to less sensitive B-lymphoid cancers. CRISPR screens in cancer cells uncovered genes regulating sensitivity and resistance to NK cell-mediated killing, including adhesion-related glycoproteins, protein fucosylation genes, and transcriptional regulators, in addition to confirming the importance of antigen presentation and death receptor signaling pathways. CRISPR screens with a single-cell transcriptomic readout provided insight into underlying mechanisms, including regulation of IFN-γ signaling in cancer cells and NK cell activation states. Our findings highlight the diversity of mechanisms influencing NK cell susceptibility across different cancers and provide a resource for NK cell-based therapies.

Natural killer cell-related prognostic risk model predicts prognosis and treatment outcomes in triple-negative breast cancer

Background

Natural killer (NK) cells are crucial to the emergence, identification, and prognosis of cancers. The roles of NK cell-related genes in the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) and immunotherapy treatment are unclear. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a highly aggressive malignant tumor. Hence, this study was conducted to develop a reliable risk model related to NK cells and provide a novel system for predicting the prognosis of TNBC.

Methods

NK cell-related genes were collected from previous studies. Based on TCGA and GEO database, univariate and LASSO cox regression analysis were used to establish the NK cell-related gene signature. The patients with TNBC were separated to high-risk and low-risk groups. After that, survival analysis was conducted and the responses to immunotherapies were evaluated on the basis of the signature. Moreover, the drug sensitivity of some traditional chemotherapeutic drugs was assessed by using the "oncoPredict" R package. In addition, the expression levels of the genes involved in the signature were validated by using qRT-PCR in TNBC cell lines.

Results

The patients with TNBC were divided into high- and low-risk groups according to the median risk score of the 5-NK cell-related gene signature. The low-risk group was associated with a better clinical outcome. Besides, the differentially expressed genes between the different risk groups were enriched in the biological activities associated with immunity. The tumor immune cells were found to be highly infiltrated in the low-risk groups. In accordance with the TIDE score and immune checkpoint-related gene expression analysis, TNBC patients in the low-risk groups were suggested to have better responses to immunotherapies. Eventually, some classical anti-tumor drugs were shown to be less effective in high-risk groups than in low-risk groups.

Conclusion

The 5-NK cell-related gene signature exhibit outstanding predictive performance and provide fresh viewpoints for evaluating the success of immunotherapy. It will provide new insights to achieve precision and integrated treatment for TNBC in the future.

Transcriptional reprogramming of natural killer cells by vaccinia virus shows both distinct and conserved features with mCMV

Natural killer (NK) cells have an established role in controlling poxvirus infection and there is a growing interest to exploit their capabilities in the context of poxvirus-based oncolytic therapy and vaccination. How NK cells respond to poxvirus-infected cells to become activated is not well established. To address this knowledge gap, we studied the NK cell response to vaccinia virus (VACV) in vivo, using a systemic infection murine model. We found broad alterations in NK cells transcriptional activity in VACV-infected mice, consistent with both direct target cell recognition and cytokine exposure. There were also alterations in the expression levels of specific NK surface receptors (NKRs), including the Ly49 family and SLAM receptors, as well as upregulation of memory-associated NK markers. Despite the latter observation, adoptive transfer of VACV-expercienced NK populations did not confer protection from infection. Comparison with the NK cell response to murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) infection highlighted common features, but also distinct NK transcriptional programmes initiated by VACV. Finally, there was a clear overlap between the NK transcriptional response in humans vaccinated with an attenuated VACV, modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA), demonstrating conservation between the NK response in these different host species. Overall, this study provides new data about NK cell activation, function, and homeostasis during VACV infection, and may have implication for the design of VACV-based therapeutics.

A new natural killer cell-specific gene signature predicting recurrence in colorectal cancer patients

The protective role of Natural Killer (NK) cell tumour immunosurveillance has long been recognised in colorectal cancer (CRC). However, as most patients show limited intra-tumoral NK cell infiltration, improving our ability to identify those with high NK cell activity might aid in dissecting the molecular features which underlie NK cell sensitivity. Here, a novel CRC-specific NK cell gene signature that infers NK cell load in primary tissue samples was derived and validated in multiple patient CRC cohorts. In contrast with other NK cell gene signatures that have several overlapping genes across different immune cell types, our NK cell signature has been extensively refined to be specific for CRC-infiltrating NK cells. The specificity of the signature is substantiated in tumour-infiltrating NK cells from primary CRC tumours at the single cell level, and the signature includes genes representative of NK cells of different maturation states, activation status and anatomical origin. Our signature also accurately discriminates murine NK cells, demonstrating the applicability of this geneset when mining datasets generated from preclinical studies. Differential gene expression analysis revealed tumour-intrinsic features associated with NK cell inclusion versus exclusion in CRC patients, with those tumours with predicted high NK activity showing strong evidence of enhanced chemotactic and cytotoxic transcriptional programs. Furthermore, survival modelling indicated that NK signature expression is associated with improved survival outcomes in CRC patients. Thus, scoring CRC samples with this refined NK cell signature might aid in identifying patients with high NK cell activity who could be prime candidates for NK cell directed immunotherapies.

Phenotypic and functional characteristics of highly differentiated CD57+NKG2C+ NK cells in HIV-1-infected individuals

Natural killer (NK) cells are important anti-viral effector cells. The function and phenotype of the NK cells that constitute an individual's NK cell repertoire can be influenced by ongoing or previous viral infections. Indeed, infection with human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) drives the expansion of a highly differentiated NK cell population characterized by expression of CD57 and the activating NKG2C receptor. This NK cell population has also been noted to occur in HIV-1-infected individuals. We evaluated the NK cells of HIV-1-infected and HIV-1-uninfected individuals to determine the relative frequency of highly differentiated CD57+NKG2C+ NK cells and characterize these cells for their receptor expression and responsiveness to diverse stimuli. Highly differentiated CD57+NKG2C+ NK cells occurred at higher frequencies in HCMV-infected donors relative to HCMV-uninfected donors and were dramatically expanded in HIV-1/HCMV co-infected donors. The expanded CD57+NKG2C+ NK cell population in HIV-1-infected donors remained stable following antiretroviral therapy. CD57+NKG2C+ NK cells derived from HIV-1-infected individuals were robustly activated by antibody-dependent stimuli that contained anti-HIV-1 antibodies or therapeutic anti-CD20 antibody, and these NK cells mediated cytolysis through NKG2C. Lastly, CD57+NKG2C+ NK cells from HIV-1-infected donors were characterized by reduced expression of the inhibitory NKG2A receptor. The abundance of highly functional CD57+NKG2C+ NK cells in HIV-1-infected individuals raises the possibility that these NK cells could play a role in HIV-1 pathogenesis or serve as effector cells for therapeutic/cure strategies.

Disruption of the HLA-E/NKG2X axis is associated with uncontrolled HIV infections

The contribution of the HLA-E/NKG2X axis in NK-mediated control of HIV infection remains unclear. We have studied the relationship between HLA-E expression and phenotypical as well as functional characteristics of NK cells, in the context of chronic HIV infection and in an in vitro model of acute infection. High viremia in HIV+ individuals was related to increased HLA-E expression, and changes in NK subpopulations, especially a reduction of the CD56bright as well as an increase in adaptive NK subpopulation. Uncontrolled HIV infection was also characterized by a reversion of the NKG2A/NKG2C expression ratio and a loss of positive and negative regulation of NK mediated by HLA-E. This was reflected in a lower cytotoxic, degranulation and cytokine production capacity, especially in CD56bright and adaptive NK. In line with these results, HLA-E expression showed a positive correlation with viral growth inhibition in an in vitro model of acute infection at day 7, which was lost after 14 days of culture. Using HLA-E expressing K562 cells, we determined that only one out of 11 described HIV-derived HLA-E epitopes increased HLA-E surface stability. In spite of that, eight of the 11 epitopes were capable of increasing degranulation and three drove differences in NK-cell mediated cell lysis or cytokine secretion. In conclusion, our results indicate that HLA-E molecules presenting HIV-derived epitopes may sensitize target cells for NK lysis in early HIV infection. However, prolonged exposure to elevated HLA-E expression levels in vivo may lead to NK cell dysfunction and reduced viral control In chronic infection.

Differential immune transcriptomic profiles between vaccinated and resolved HCV reinfected subjects

Successive episodes of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection represent a unique natural rechallenge experiment to define correlates of long-term protective immunity and inform vaccine development. We applied a systems immunology approach to characterize longitudinal changes in the peripheral blood transcriptomic signatures in eight subjects who spontaneously resolved two successive HCV infections. Furthermore, we compared these signatures with those induced by an HCV T cell-based vaccine regimen. We identified a plasma cell transcriptomic signature during early acute HCV reinfection. This signature was absent in primary infection and following HCV vaccine boost. Spontaneous resolution of HCV reinfection was associated with rapid expansion of glycoprotein E2-specifc memory B cells in three subjects and transient increase in E2-specific neutralizing antibodies in six subjects. Concurrently, there was an increase in the breadth and magnitude of HCV-specific T cells in 7 out of 8 subjects. These results suggest a cooperative role for both antibodies and T cells in clearance of HCV reinfection and support the development of next generation HCV vaccines targeting these two arms of the immune system.

Impact of antiretroviral therapy in primary HIV infection on natural killer cell function and the association with viral rebound and HIV DNA following treatment interruption

Natural Killer (NK) cells play a key role in controlling HIV replication, with potential downstream impact on the size of the HIV reservoir and likelihood of viral rebound after antiretroviral therapy (ART) cessation. It is therefore important to understand how primary HIV infection (PHI) disrupts NK cell function, and how these functions are restored by early ART. We examined the impact of commencing ART during PHI on phenotypic and functional NK cell markers at treatment initiation (baseline), 3 months, 1 year, and 2 years in seven well-characterised participants in comparison to HIV seronegative volunteers. We then examined how those NK cell properties differentially impacted by ART related to time to viral rebound and HIV DNA levels in 44 individuals from the SPARTAC trial who stopped ART after 48 weeks treatment, started during PHI. NK cell markers that were significantly different between the seven people with HIV (PWH) treated for 2 years and HIV uninfected individuals included NKG2C levels in CD56dim NK cells, Tim-3 expression in CD56bright NK cells, IFN-γ expressed by CD56dim NK cells after IL-12/IL-18 stimulation and the fraction of Eomes-/T-bet+ in CD56dim and CD56bright NK cells. When exploring time to viral rebound after stopping ART among the 44 SPARTAC participants, no single NK phenotypic marker correlated with control. Higher levels of IL-12/IL-18 mediated NK cell degranulation at baseline were associated with longer times to viral rebound after treatment interruption (P=0.028). Additionally, we found higher fractions of CD56dim NK cells in individuals with lower levels of HIV DNA (P=0.048). NKG2A and NKp30 levels in CD56neg NK cells were higher in patients with lower HIV DNA levels (p=0.00174, r=-0.49 and p=0.03, r= -0.327, respectively) while CD27 levels were higher in those with higher levels of HIV DNA (p=0.026). These data show NK cell functions are heterogeneously impacted by HIV infection with a mixed picture of resolution on ART, and that while NK cells may affect HIV DNA levels and time to viral rebound, no single NK cell marker defined delayed viral rebound.

Identification and Validation of a Novel Signature Based on NK Cell Marker Genes to Predict Prognosis and Immunotherapy Response in Lung Adenocarcinoma by Integrated Analysis of Single-Cell and Bulk RNA-Sequencing

Natural killer (NK) cells, the effectors of the innate immune system, have a remarkable influence on cancer prognosis and immunotherapy. In this study, a total of 1,816 samples from nine independent cohorts in public datasets were enrolled. We first conducted a comprehensive analysis of single-cell RNA-sequencing data of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and determined 189 NK cell marker genes. Subsequently, we developed a seven-gene prognostic signature based on NK cell marker genes in the TCGA LUAD cohort, which stratified patients into high-risk and low-risk groups. The predictive power of the signature was well verified in different clinical subgroups and GEO cohorts. With a multivariate analysis, the signature was identified as an independent prognostic factor. Low-risk patients had higher immune cell infiltration states, especially CD8⁺ T cells and follicular helper T cells. There existed a negative association between inflammatory activities and risk score, and the richness and diversity of the T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoire was higher in the low-risk groups. Importantly, analysis of an independent immunotherapy cohort (IMvigor210) revealed that low-risk patients had better immunotherapy responses and prognosis than high-risk patients. Collectively, our study developed a novel signature based on NK cell marker genes, which had a potent capability to predict the prognosis and immunotherapy response of LUAD patients.

Negative Regulation and Protective Function of Natural Killer Cells in HIV Infection: Two Sides of a Coin

Natural killer (NK) cells play an important immunologic role, targeting tumors and virus-infected cells; however, NK cells do not impede the progression of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. In HIV infection, NK cells exhibit impaired functions and negatively regulate other immune cell responses, although NK cells can kill HIV-infected cells and thereby suppress HIV replication. Considerable recent research has emerged regarding NK cells in the areas of immune checkpoints, negative regulation, antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity and HIV reservoirs during HIV infection; however, no overall summary of these factors is available. This review focuses on several important aspects of NK cells in relation to HIV infection, including changes in NK cell count, subpopulations, and immune checkpoints, as well as abnormalities in NK cell functions and NK cell negative regulation. The protective function of NK cells in inhibiting HIV replication to reduce the viral reservoir and approaches for enhancing NK cell functions are also summarized.

Monitoring Circulating Immune Checkpoint Proteins as Predictors of Non-AIDS Morbid Events in People with HIV Initiating Antiretroviral Therapy

Background

Although cell surface immune checkpoint proteins (ICPs) such as PD-1 expressed on T cells are associated with T-cell exhaustion, HIV disease progression, and AIDS events, they have shown limited utility in predicting non-AIDS morbidity. Given that ICPs also exist in soluble forms and are elevated in ART-treated HIV infection, we tested the hypothesis that soluble ICPs may be predictive of non-AIDS events in adults initiating ART.

Methods

Utilizing a nested case–control study from the AIDS Clinical Trials Group ALLRT cohort, we measured plasma levels of 15 soluble inhibitory and activating ICPs by Luminex. Participants (134 cases, 292 matched controls) were evaluated pre-ART, a year post-ART, and immediately preceding a non-AIDS event, which included myocardial infarction (MI)/stroke, malignancy, serious bacterial infection, and nonaccidental death.

Results

Conditional logistic regression analysis determined that higher levels of soluble CD27 were associated with increased risk of non-AIDS events at all time points. Higher levels of CD40 at baseline and pre-event and CD80 at pre-event were associated with increased risk of non-AIDS events. Examining specific non-AIDS events, multiple ICPs were associated with malignancy at baseline and pre-event, whereas only higher CD27 levels were associated with increased risk of MI/stroke at year 1 and pre-event.

Conclusions

While select soluble ICPs were associated with non-AIDS events, CD27 emerged as a consistent marker irrespective of ART. Our data may offer guidance on new targets for early clinical monitoring in people with HIV who remain at greater risk of specific non-AIDS events.

NK-B cell cross talk induces CXCR5 expression on natural killer cells

B cell follicles (BCFs) in lymph nodes (LNs) are generally exempt of CD8⁺ T and NK cells. African green monkeys (AGMs), a natural host of simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV), display NK cell-mediated viral control in BCF. NK cell migration into BCF in chronically SIVagm-infected AGM is associated with CXCR5⁺ NK cells. We aimed to identify the mechanism leading to CXCR5 expression on NK cells. We show that CXCR5⁺ NK cells in LN were induced following SIVagm infection. CXCR5⁺ NK cells accumulated preferentially in BCF with proliferating B cells. Autologous NK-B cell co-cultures in transwell chambers induced CXCR5⁺ NK cells. Transcriptome analysis of CXCR5⁺ NK cells revealed expression of bcl6 and IL6R. IL-6 induced CXCR5 on AGM and human NK cells. IL6 mRNA was detected in LN at higher levels during SIVagm than SIVmac infection and often produced by plasma cells. Our study reveals a mechanism of B cell-dependent NK cell regulation.

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IL-6 can induce CXCR5 on NK cells

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CXCR5⁺ NK cells expressed high levels of bcl6 and IL6R

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More IL-6⁺ plasmablast/plasma cells in lymph nodes in SIVagm than SIVmac infection

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B cells participate in the regulation of NK cell migration into BCF

Specific human cytomegalovirus signature detected in NK cell metabolic changes post vaccination

Effective vaccines for human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) remain a significant challenge for these infectious diseases. Given that the innate immune response is key to controlling the scale and nature of developing adaptive immune responses, targeting natural killer (NK) cells that can promote a T-helper type 1 (Th1)-type immune response through the production of interferon-γ (IFNγ) remains an untapped strategic target for improved vaccination approaches. Here, we investigate metabolic and functional responses of NK cells to simian adenovirus prime and MVA boost vaccination in a cohort of healthy volunteers receiving a dual HCV-HIV-1 vaccine. Early and late timepoints demonstrated metabolic changes that contributed to the sustained proliferation of all NK cells. However, a strong impact of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) on some metabolic and functional responses in NK cells was observed in HCMV seropositive participants. These changes were not restricted to molecularly defined adaptive NK cells; indeed, canonical NK cells that produced most IFNγ in response to vaccination were equally impacted in individuals with latent HCMV. In summary, NK cells undergo metabolic changes in response to vaccination, and understanding these in the context of HCMV is an important step towards rational vaccine design against a range of human viral pathogens.

On Deep Landscape Exploration of COVID-19 Patients Cells and Severity Markers

COVID-19 is a disease with a spectrum of clinical responses ranging from moderate to critical. To study and control its effects, a large number of researchers are focused on two substantial aims. On the one hand, the discovery of diverse biomarkers to classify and potentially anticipate the disease severity of patients. These biomarkers could serve as a medical criterion to prioritize attention to those patients with higher prone to severe responses. On the other hand, understanding how the immune system orchestrates its responses in this spectrum of disease severities is a fundamental issue required to design new and optimized therapeutic strategies. In this work, using single-cell RNAseq of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid of nine patients with COVID-19 and three healthy controls, we contribute to both aspects. First, we presented computational supervised machine-learning models with high accuracy in classifying the disease severity (moderate and severe) in patients with COVID-19 starting from single-cell data from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Second, we identified regulatory mechanisms from the heterogeneous cell populations in the lungs microenvironment that correlated with different clinical responses. Given the results, patients with moderate COVID-19 symptoms showed an activation/inactivation profile for their analyzed cells leading to a sequential and innocuous immune response. In comparison, severe patients might be promoting cytotoxic and pro-inflammatory responses in a systemic fashion involving epithelial and immune cells without the possibility to develop viral clearance and immune memory. Consequently, we present an in-depth landscape analysis of how transcriptional factors and pathways from these heterogeneous populations can regulate their expression to promote or restrain an effective immune response directly linked to the patients prognosis.

Defective expansion and function of memory like natural killer cells in HIV+ individuals with latent tuberculosis infection

Purpose

Tuberculosis (TB) is the leading cause of infectious disease related mortality, and only 10% of the infected individuals develop active disease. The likelihood of progression of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) to active TB disease is high in HIV infected individuals. Identification of HIV+ individuals at risk would allow treating targeted population, facilitating completion of therapy for LTBI and prevention of TB development. NK cells have an important role in T cell independent immunity against TB, but the exact role of NK cell subsets in LTBI and HIV is not well characterized.

Methods

In this study, we compared the expansion and function of memory like NK cells from HIV-LTBI+ individuals and treatment naïve HIV+LTBI+ patients in response to Mtb antigens ESAT-6 and CFP-10.

Results

In freshly isolated PBMCs, percentages of CD3^-CD56⁺ NK cells were similar in HIV+LTBI+ patients and healthy HIV-LTBI+ individuals. However, percentages of CD3^-CD56⁺CD16⁺ NK cells were higher in healthy HIV-LTBI+ individuals compared to HIV+LTBI+ patients. HIV infection also inhibited the expansion of memory like NK cells, production of IL-32α, IL-15 and IFN-γ in response to Mtb antigens in LTBI+ individuals.

Conclusion

We studied phenotypic, functional subsets and activation of memory like-NK cells during HIV infection and LTBI. We observed that HIV+LTBI+ patients demonstrated suboptimal NK cell and monocyte interactions in response to Mtb, leading to reduced IL-15, IFN-γ and granzyme B and increased CCL5 production. Our study highlights the effect of HIV and LTBI on modulation of NK cell activity to understand their role in development of interventions to prevent progression to TB in high risk individuals.

Association of Transcriptomic Signatures of Inflammatory Response with Viral Control after Dendritic Cell-Based Therapeutic Vaccination in HIV-1 Infected Individuals

Systems vaccinology has seldomly been used in therapeutic HIV-1 vaccine research. Our aim was to identify early gene ‘signatures’ that predicted virus load control after analytical therapy interruption (ATI) in participants of a dendritic cell-based HIV-1 vaccine trial (DCV2). mRNA and miRNA were extracted from frozen post-vaccination PBMC samples; gene expression was determined by microarray method. In gene set enrichment analysis, responders showed an up-regulation of 14 gene sets (TNF-alpha/NFkB pathway, inflammatory response, the complement system, Il6 and Il2 JAK-STAT signaling, among others) and a down-regulation of 7 gene sets (such as E2F targets or interferon alpha response). The expression of genes regulated by three (miR-223-3p, miR-1183 and miR-8063) of the 9 differentially expressed miRNAs was significantly down-regulated in responders. The deregulation of certain gene sets related to inflammatory processes seems fundamental for viral control, and certain miRNAs may be important in fine-tuning these processes.

Impact of Transcriptome and Gut Microbiome on the Response of HIV-1 Infected Individuals to a Dendritic Cell-Based HIV Therapeutic Vaccine

Therapeutic vaccines based on dendritic cells offer a good approach to HIV-specific T-cell responses and partial control of the viral load after antiretroviral therapy interruption. The aim of the present study was to identify mRNA expression profiles and to assess the impact of the gut microbiome composition for predicting the viral load control after antiretroviral therapy interruption. We enrolled 29 patients to receive either placebo or a monocyte-derived dendritic cell vaccine. Patients with a decrease in their viral load of >0.5 log₁₀ copies/mL by 12 weeks after antiretroviral therapy interruption were considered responders. In total, 66 genes were considered differentially expressed between responders and non-responders. Enrichment analysis revealed several upregulated pathways involved in the host defense response to a virus via the type I interferon signaling pathway. Regarding the gut microbiota, responders showed enriched levels of Bacteroidetes (p < 0.005) and Verrucomicrobia (p = 0.017), while non-responders were enriched with Tenericutes (p = 0.049) and Actinobacteria (p < 0.005). We also found important differences at the genus level. However, we did not discover any effect of the dendritic cell vaccine on the transcriptome or the gut microbiota. An alternative analysis did characterize that the microbiota from responders were associated with the metabolic production of short-chain fatty acids, which are key metabolites in the regulation of intestinal homeostasis. The evidence now consistently shows that short-chain fatty acid depletion occurs in HIV-infected individuals receiving antiretroviral treatment.

Reference Transcriptomes of Porcine Peripheral Immune Cells Created Through Bulk and Single-Cell RNA Sequencing

Pigs are a valuable human biomedical model and an important protein source supporting global food security. The transcriptomes of peripheral blood immune cells in pigs were defined at the bulk cell-type and single cell levels. First, eight cell types were isolated in bulk from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) by cell sorting, representing Myeloid, NK cells and specific populations of T and B-cells. Transcriptomes for each bulk population of cells were generated by RNA-seq with 10,974 expressed genes detected. Pairwise comparisons between cell types revealed specific expression, while enrichment analysis identified 1,885 to 3,591 significantly enriched genes across all 8 cell types. Gene Ontology analysis for the top 25% of significantly enriched genes (SEG) showed high enrichment of biological processes related to the nature of each cell type. Comparison of gene expression indicated highly significant correlations between pig cells and corresponding human PBMC bulk RNA-seq data available in Haemopedia. Second, higher resolution of distinct cell populations was obtained by single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) of PBMC. Seven PBMC samples were partitioned and sequenced that produced 28,810 single cell transcriptomes distributed across 36 clusters and classified into 13 general cell types including plasmacytoid dendritic cells (DC), conventional DCs, monocytes, B-cell, conventional CD4 and CD8 αβ T-cells, NK cells, and γδ T-cells. Signature gene sets from the human Haemopedia data were assessed for relative enrichment in genes expressed in pig cells and integration of pig scRNA-seq with a public human scRNA-seq dataset provided further validation for similarity between human and pig data. The sorted porcine bulk RNAseq dataset informed classification of scRNA-seq PBMC populations; specifically, an integration of the datasets showed that the pig bulk RNAseq data helped define the CD4CD8 double-positive T-cell populations in the scRNA-seq data. Overall, the data provides deep and well-validated transcriptomic data from sorted PBMC populations and the first single-cell transcriptomic data for porcine PBMCs. This resource will be invaluable for annotation of pig genes controlling immunogenetic traits as part of the porcine Functional Annotation of Animal Genomes (FAANG) project, as well as further study of, and development of new reagents for, porcine immunology.

Humanized Mice for the Evaluation of Novel HIV-1 Therapies

With the discovery of antiretroviral therapy, HIV-1 infection has transitioned into a manageable but chronic illness, which requires lifelong treatment. Nevertheless, complete eradication of the virus has still eluded us. This is partly due to the virus’s ability to remain in a dormant state in tissue reservoirs, ‘hidden’ from the host’s immune system. Also, the high mutation rate of HIV-1 results in escape mutations in response to many therapeutics. Regardless, the development of novel cures for HIV-1 continues to move forward with a range of approaches from immunotherapy to gene editing. However, to evaluate in vivo pathogenesis and the efficacy and safety of therapeutic approaches, a suitable animal model is necessary. To this end, the humanized mouse was developed by McCune in 1988 and has continued to be improved on over the past 30 years. Here, we review the variety of humanized mouse models that have been utilized through the years and describe their specific contribution in translating HIV-1 cure strategies to the clinic.

ASK1 suppresses NK cell-mediated intravascular tumor cell clearance in lung metastasis

Tumor metastasis is the leading cause of death worldwide and involves an extremely complex process composed of multiple steps. Our previous study demonstrated that apoptosis signal‐regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) deficiency in mice attenuates tumor metastasis in an experimental lung metastasis model. However, the steps of tumor metastasis regulated by ASK1 remain unclear. Here, we showed that ASK1 deficiency in mice promotes natural killer (NK) cell‐mediated intravascular tumor cell clearance in the initial hours of metastasis. In response to tumor inoculation, ASK1 deficiency upregulated immune response‐related genes, including interferon‐gamma (IFNγ). We also revealed that NK cells are required for these anti‐metastatic phenotypes. ASK1 deficiency augmented cytokine production chemoattractive to NK cells possibly through induction of the ligand for NKG2D, a key activating receptor of NK cells, leading to further recruitment of NK cells into the lung. These results indicate that ASK1 negatively regulates NK cell‐dependent anti‐tumor immunity and that ASK1‐targeted therapy can provide a new tool for cancer immunotherapy to overcome tumor metastasis.

Comparative Transcriptome Profiling of Human and Pig Intestinal Epithelial Cells after Porcine Deltacoronavirus Infection

Porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) is an emerging infectious disease of swine with zoonotic potential. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that PDCoV originated recently from a host-switching event between birds and mammals. Little is known about how PDCoV interacts with its differing hosts. Human-derived cell lines are susceptible to PDCoV infection. Herein, we compare the gene expression profiles of an established host swine cells to potential emerging host human cells after infection with PDCoV. Cell lines derived from intestinal lineages were used to reproduce the primary sites of viral infection in the host. Porcine intestinal epithelial cells (IPEC-J2) and human intestinal epithelial cells (HIEC) were infected with PDCoV. RNA-sequencing was performed on total RNA extracted from infected cells. Human cells exhibited a more pronounced response to PDCoV infection in comparison to porcine cells with more differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in human, 7486, in comparison to pig cells, 1134. On the transcriptional level, the adoptive host human cells exhibited more DEGs in response to PDCoV infection in comparison to the primary pig host cells, where different types of cytokines can control PDCoV replication and virus production. Key immune-associated DEGs and signaling pathways are shared between human and pig cells during PDCoV infection. These included genes related to the NF-kappa-B transcription factor family, the interferon (IFN) family, the protein-kinase family, and signaling pathways such as the apoptosis signaling pathway, JAK-STAT signaling pathway, inflammation/cytokine–cytokine receptor signaling pathway. MAP4K4 was unique in up-regulated DEGs in humans in the apoptosis signaling pathway. While similarities exist between human and pig cells in many pathways, our research suggests that the adaptation of PDCoV to the porcine host required the ability to down-regulate many response pathways including the interferon pathway. Our findings provide an important foundation that contributes to an understanding of the mechanisms of PDCoV infection across different hosts. To our knowledge, this is the first report of transcriptome analysis of human cells infected by PDCoV.

TRIGGERED: could refocused cell signaling be key to natural killer cell-based HIV immunotherapeutics?

Natural killer (NK) cells are one of the critical innate immune effector cells that directly kill tumors and virus-infected cells, and modulate other immune cells including dendritic cells, CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Signals from activating and inhibitory surface receptors orchestrate the regulatory and cytotoxic functions of NK cells. Although a number of surface receptors are involved, multiple signaling molecules are shared so that NK cell responses are synergistically regulated. Many pathogens and tumors evade NK cell responses by targeting NK cell signaling. Particularly in HIV/simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infection, the NK cell repertoire is diminished by changes in subsets of NK cells, expression of activating and inhibitory receptors, and intracellular signaling molecules. However, in-depth studies on intracellular signaling in NK cells in HIV/SIV infections remain limited. Checkpoint blockade and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-NK cells have demonstrated enhanced NK cell activities against tumors and viral infections. In addition, targeting intracellular signaling molecules by small molecules could also improve NK cell responses towards HIV/SIV infection in vivo. Therefore, further understanding of NK cell signaling including identification of key signaling molecules is crucial to maximize the efficacy of NK cell-based treatments. Herein, we review the current state of the literature and outline potential future avenues where optimized NK cells could be utilized in HIV-1 cure strategies and other immunotherapeutics in PLWH.

An atlas of immune cell exhaustion in HIV-infected individuals revealed by single-cell transcriptomics

Chronic infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) can cause progressive loss of immune cell function, or exhaustion, which impairs control of virus replication. However, little is known about the development and maintenance, as well as heterogeneity of immune cell exhaustion. Here, we investigated the effects of HIV infection on immune cell exhaustion at the transcriptomic level by analyzing single-cell RNA sequencing of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from four healthy subjects (37,847 cells) and six HIV-infected donors (28,610 cells). We identified nine immune cell clusters and eight T cell subclusters, and three of these (exhausted CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and interferon-responsive CD8+ T cells) were detected only in samples from HIV-infected donors. An inhibitory receptor KLRG1 was identified in a HIV-1 specific exhausted CD8+ T cell population expressing KLRG1, TIGIT, and T-betdimEomeshi markers. Ex-vivo antibody blockade of KLRG1 restored the function of HIV-specific exhausted CD8+ T cells demonstrating the contribution of KLRG1+ population to T cell exhaustion and providing an immunotherapy target to treat HIV chronic infection. These data provide a comprehensive analysis of gene signatures associated with immune cell exhaustion during HIV infection, which could be useful in understanding exhaustion mechanisms and developing new cure therapies.

The potential markers of NK-92 associated to cytotoxicity against K562 cells

Markers associated to NK cytolytic activity are in a great need to regulate NK cell immunotherapy products. We assume that biomarkers which response to cytolysis will change their transcription, expression or secretion. To find NK-92 indicator to cytolytic activity, we have evaluated the potential markers by quantifying the expression of well-known cytotoxicity functional molecules (cytokine IFN-γ, Granzyme B, perforin, CD69 and CD107a), and explored candidate markers by a sweeping transcription picture of NK-92 using a direct cytolysis model (incubation with K562). We found that IFN-γ secretion was highly correlated to cytotoxicity of NK-92, neither Granzyme B, perforin secretion, nor CD69, CD107a positive population were upregulated by K562 stimulation. RNAseq revealed 432 genes expression changed during cytolysis, several genes (BIRC3, CSF2, VCAM1 and TNFRSF9) mRNA expression were validated by real time RT-PCR under K562 being killed or protected from being killed conditions. Results suggested IFN-γ secretion, BIRC3 and TNFRSF9 transcription in NK-92 were responsive to K562 cytolysis. In a word, our results confirmed one marker and reveal an array of novel candidate markers associated with NK-92 cytotoxicity. Further studies are greatly needed to determine the roles these new makers play in NK-92 cytolysis process.

Considerations of Antibody Geometric Constraints on NK Cell Antibody Dependent Cellular Cytotoxicity

It has been well-established that antibody isotype, glycosylation, and epitope all play roles in the process of antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC). For natural killer (NK) cells, these phenotypes are linked to cellular activation through interaction with the IgG receptor FcγRIIIa, a single pass transmembrane receptor that participates in cytoplasmic signaling complexes. Therefore, it has been hypothesized that there may be underlying spatial and geometric principles that guide proper assembly of an activation complex within the NK cell immune synapse. Further, synergy of antibody phenotypic properties as well as allosteric changes upon antigen binding may also play an as-of-yet unknown role in ADCC. Understanding these facets, however, remains hampered by difficulties associated with studying immune synapse dynamics using classical approaches. In this review, I will discuss relevant NK cell biology related to ADCC, including the structural biology of Fc gamma receptors, and how the dynamics of the NK cell immune synapse are being studied using innovative microscopy techniques. I will provide examples from the literature demonstrating the effects of spatial and geometric constraints on the T cell receptor complex and how this relates to intracellular signaling and the molecular nature of lymphocyte activation complexes, including those of NK cells. Finally, I will examine how the integration of high-throughput and "omics" technologies will influence basic NK cell biology research moving forward. Overall, the goal of this review is to lay a basis for understanding the development of drugs and therapeutic antibodies aimed at augmenting appropriate NK cell ADCC activity in patients being treated for a wide range of illnesses.

Transcriptional Changes in Kidney Allografts with Histology of Antibody-Mediated Rejection without Anti-HLA Donor-Specific Antibodies

BACKGROUND

Circulating donor-specific anti-HLA antibodies (HLA-DSAs) are often absent in serum of kidney allograft recipients whose biopsy specimens demonstrate histology of antibody-mediated rejection (ABMR). It is unclear whether cases involving ABMR histology without detectable HLA-DSAs represent a distinct clinical and molecular phenotype.

METHODS

In this multicenter cohort study, we integrated allograft microarray analysis with extensive clinical and histologic phenotyping from 224 kidney transplant recipients between 2011 and 2017. We used the term ABMR histology for biopsy specimens that fulfill the first two Banff 2017 criteria for ABMR, irrespective of HLA-DSA status.

RESULTS

Of 224 biopsy specimens, 56 had ABMR histology; 26 of these (46.4%) lacked detectable serum HLA-DSAs. Biopsy specimens with ABMR histology showed overexpression of transcripts mostly related to IFNγ-induced pathways and activation of natural killer cells and endothelial cells. HLA-DSA-positive and HLA-DSA-negative biopsy specimens with ABMR histology displayed similar upregulation of pathways and enrichment of infiltrating leukocytes. Transcriptional heterogeneity observed in biopsy specimens with ABMR histology was not associated with HLA-DSA status but was caused by concomitant T cell-mediated rejection. Compared with cases lacking ABMR histology, those with ABMR histology and HLA-DSA had higher allograft failure risk (hazard ratio [HR], 7.24; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 3.04 to 17.20) than cases without HLA-DSA (HR, 2.33; 95% CI, 0.85 to 6.33), despite the absence of transcriptional differences.

CONCLUSIONS

ABMR histology corresponds to a robust intragraft transcriptional signature, irrespective of HLA-DSA status. Outcome after ABMR histology is not solely determined by the histomolecular presentation but is predicted by the underlying etiologic factor. It is important to consider this heterogeneity in further research and in treatment decisions for patients with ABMR histology.

Delineation and Modulation of the Natural Killer Cell Transcriptome in Rhesus Macaques During ZIKV and SIV Infections

Natural killer (NK) cells are crucial regulators of antiviral and anti-tumor immune responses. Although in humans some NK cell transcriptional programs are relatively well-established, NK cell transcriptional networks in non-human primates (NHP) remain poorly delineated. Here we performed RNA-Seq experiments using purified NK cells from experimentally naïve rhesus macaques, providing the first transcriptional characterization of pure NK cells in any NHP species. This novel NK cell transcriptomic signature (NK RMtsig) overlaps with published human NK signatures, allowing us to identify new key signaling and transcription factor networks underlying NK cell function. Finally, we show that applying NK RMtsig to an unrelated rhesus macaque cohort infected with SIVmac251 or ZIKV can sensitively detect NK cell repertoire perturbations, thus confirming applicability of this approach. In sum, we propose this NHP NK cell signature will serve as a useful resource for future studies involving infection, disease or treatment modalities in NHP.

Transcriptional profiling indicates cAMP-driven reversal of HIV latency in monocytes occurs via transcription factor SP-1

Latent HIV reservoir is a major barrier to absolute HIV cure. Studies on latency reversal agents (LRA) have by far focused mainly on CD4+ T-lymphocytes, while myeloid reservoirs remain under-represented despite their persistence and key contribution to HIV pathogenesis. cAMP has been shown to increase HIV-1 transcription in latently-infected monocytes/macrophages. In this communication, we explored the potential of commercially available pharmacological drugs and phosphodiesterase inhibitors to reactivate HIV in latently-infected monocytic cell-line, U1. We showed that increased levels of intracellular cAMP reverse HIV latency in vitro, which is specific to cells of the myeloid lineage. High throughput RNA-seq analysis revealed that cAMP modulates transcriptional profile of latently HIV-infected cells and provides favourable cellular environment for HIV to produce viral proteins. This reactivation of latent HIV was inhibited by Mithramycin A, a selective Sp1 inhibitor, indicating that the reversal of HIV latency in monocytes is driven by transcription factor Sp1.

A comparison of curated gene sets versus transcriptomics-derived gene signatures for detecting pathway activation in immune cells

BACKGROUND

Despite the significant contribution of transcriptomics to the fields of biological and biomedical research, interpreting long lists of significantly differentially expressed genes remains a challenging step in the analysis process. Gene set enrichment analysis is a standard approach for summarizing differentially expressed genes into pathways or other gene groupings. Here, we explore an alternative approach to utilizing gene sets from curated databases. We examine the method of deriving custom gene sets which may be relevant to a given experiment using reference data sets from previous transcriptomics studies. We call these data-derived gene sets, "gene signatures" for the biological process tested in the previous study. We focus on the feasibility of this approach in analyzing immune-related processes, which are complicated in their nature but play an important role in the medical research.

RESULTS

We evaluate several statistical approaches to detecting the activity of a gene signature in a target data set. We compare the performance of the data-derived gene signature approach with comparable GO term gene sets across all of the statistical tests. A total of 61 differential expression comparisons generated from 26 transcriptome experiments were included in the analysis. These experiments covered eight immunological processes in eight types of leukocytes. The data-derived signatures were used to detect the presence of immunological processes in the test data with modest accuracy (AUC = 0.67). The performance for GO and literature based gene sets was worse (AUC = 0.59). Both approaches were plagued by poor specificity.

CONCLUSIONS

When investigators seek to test specific hypotheses, the data-derived signature approach can perform as well, if not better than standard gene-set based approaches for immunological signatures. Furthermore, the data-derived signatures can be generated in the cases that well-defined gene sets are lacking from pathway databases and also offer the opportunity for defining signatures in a cell-type specific manner. However, neither the data-derived signatures nor standard gene-sets can be demonstrated to reliably provide negative predictions for negative cases. We conclude that the data-derived signature approach is a useful and sometimes necessary tool, but analysts should be weary of false positives.

Terminal Effector CD8 T Cells Defined by an IKZF2+IL-7R- Transcriptional Signature Express FcγRIIIA, Expand in HIV Infection, and Mediate Potent HIV-Specific Antibody-Dependent Cellular Cytotoxicity

Chronic HIV-1 is associated with increased levels of FcγRIIIA⁺ CD8 T cells.

FcγRIIIA⁺ CD8 T cells display an innate transcriptomic profile akin to NK cells.

ADCC is mediated by FcγRIIIA⁺ CD8 T cells at levels comparable with NK cells.

HIV-1 infection expands large populations of late-stage differentiated CD8 T cells that may persist long after viral escape from TCR recognition. In this study, we investigated whether such CD8 T cell populations can perform unconventional innate-like antiviral effector functions. Chronic untreated HIV-1 infection was associated with elevated numbers of CD45RA⁺CD57⁺ terminal effector CD8 T cells expressing FcγRIIIA (CD16). The FcγRIIIA⁺ CD8 T cells displayed a distinctive transcriptional profile between conventional CD8 T cells and NK cells, characterized by high levels of IKZF2 and low expression of IL7R. This transcriptional profile translated into a distinct NKp80⁺ IL-7Rα⁻ surface phenotype with high expression of the Helios transcription factor. Interestingly, the FcγRIIIA⁺ CD8 T cells mediated HIV-specific Ab-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) activity at levels comparable with NK cells on a per cell basis. The FcγRIIIA⁺ CD8 T cells were highly activated in a manner that correlated positively with expansion of the CD8 T cell compartment and with plasma levels of soluble mediators of antiviral immunity and inflammation such as IP-10, TNF, IL-6, and TNFRII. The frequency of FcγRIIIA⁺ CD8 T cells persisted as patients initiated suppressive antiretroviral therapy, although their activation levels declined. These data indicate that terminally differentiated effector CD8 T cells acquire enhanced innate cell-like characteristics during chronic viral infection and suggest that HIV-specific ADCC is a function CD8 T cells use to target HIV-infected cells. Furthermore, as the FcγRIIIA⁺ CD8 T cells persist in treatment, they contribute significantly to the ADCC-capable effector cell pool in patients on antiretroviral therapy.

Optimizing intracellular signaling domains for CAR NK cells in HIV immunotherapy: a comprehensive review

Natural killer (NK) cells are innate immune lymphocytes with a key role in host defense against HIV infection. Recent advances in chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) have made NK cells a prime target for expressing recombinant receptors capable of redirecting NK cytotoxic functions towards HIV-infected cells. In this review, we discuss the role of NK cells in HIV and the mechanisms of actions of HIV-targeting CAR strategies. Furthermore, we also review NK cells signal transduction and its application to CAR NK cell strategies to develop new combinations of CAR intracellular domains and to improve CAR NK signaling and cytotoxic functions.

NK cell immune responses differ after prime and boost vaccination

A better understanding of innate responses induced by vaccination is critical for designing optimal vaccines. Here, we studied the diversity and dynamics of the NK cell compartment after prime-boost immunization with the modified vaccinia virus Ankara using cynomolgus macaques as a model. Mass cytometry was used to deeply characterize blood NK cells. The NK cell subphenotype composition was modified by the prime. Certain phenotypic changes induced by the prime were maintained over time and, as a result, the NK cell composition prior to boost differed from that before prime. The key phenotypic signature that distinguished NK cells responding to the boost from those responding to the prime included stronger expression of several cytotoxic, homing, and adhesion molecules, suggesting that NK cells at recall were functionally distinct. Our data reveal potential priming or imprinting of NK cells after the first vaccine injection. This study provides novel insights into prime-boost vaccination protocols that could be used to optimize future vaccines.