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Jia H, Yang H, Xiong H, Luo KQ. NK cell exhaustion in the tumor microenvironment. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1303605. [PMID: 38022646 PMCID: PMC10653587 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1303605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells kill mutant cells through death receptors and cytotoxic granules, playing an essential role in controlling cancer progression. However, in the tumor microenvironment (TME), NK cells frequently exhibit an exhausted status, which impairs their immunosurveillance function and contributes to tumor immune evasion. Emerging studies are ongoing to reveal the properties and mechanisms of NK cell exhaustion in the TME. In this review, we will briefly introduce the maturation, localization, homeostasis, and cytotoxicity of NK cells. We will then summarize the current understanding of the main mechanisms underlying NK cell exhaustion in the TME in four aspects: dysregulation of inhibitory and activating signaling, tumor cell-derived factors, immunosuppressive cells, and metabolism and exhaustion. We will also discuss the therapeutic approaches currently being developed to reverse NK cell exhaustion and enhance NK cell cytotoxicity in the TME.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Jia
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao SAR, China
| | - Hongmei Yang
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao SAR, China
| | - Huaxing Xiong
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao SAR, China
| | - Kathy Qian Luo
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao SAR, China
- Ministry of Education Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao SAR, China
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2
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Overview of Memory NK Cells in Viral Infections: Possible Role in SARS-CoV-2 Infection. IMMUNO 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/immuno2010005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
NK cells have usually been defined as cells of the innate immune system, although they are also involved in adaptative responses. These cells belong to the innate lymphocyte cells (ILC) family. They remove unwanted cells, tumoral cells and pathogens. NK cells are essential for viral infection clearance and are involved in tolerogenic responses depending on the dynamic balance of the repertoire of activating and inhibitory receptors. NK plasticity is crucial for tissue function and vigilant immune responses. They directly eliminate virus-infected cells by recognising viral protein antigens using a non-MHC dependent mechanism, recognising viral glycan structures and antigens by NCR family receptors, inducing apoptosis by Fas-Fas ligand interaction, and killing cells by antibody-dependent cell cytotoxicity via the FcγIII receptor. Activating receptors are responsible for the clearance of virally infected cells, while inhibitory KIR receptor activation impairs NK responses and facilitates virus escape. Effective NK memory cells have been described and characterised by a low NKG2A and high NKG2C or NKG2D expression. NK cells have also been used in cell therapy. In SARS-CoV-2 infection, several contradicting reports about the role of NK cells have been published. A careful analysis of the current data and possible implications will be discussed.
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Sfakianoudis K, Rapani A, Grigoriadis S, Pantou A, Maziotis E, Kokkini G, Tsirligkani C, Bolaris S, Nikolettos K, Chronopoulou M, Pantos K, Simopoulou M. The Role of Uterine Natural Killer Cells on Recurrent Miscarriage and Recurrent Implantation Failure: From Pathophysiology to Treatment. Biomedicines 2021; 9:biomedicines9101425. [PMID: 34680540 PMCID: PMC8533591 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9101425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Revised: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Uterine natural killer (uNK) cells constitute a unique uterine leucocyte subpopulation facilitating implantation and maintaining pregnancy. Herein, we critically analyze current evidence regarding the role of uNK cells in the events entailed in recurrent implantation failure (RIF) and recurrent miscarriages (RM). Data suggest an association between RIF and RM with abnormally elevated uNK cells’ numbers, as well as with a defective biological activity leading to cytotoxicity. However, other studies do not concur on these associations. Robust data suggesting a definitive causative relationship between uNK cells and RIF and RM is missing. Considering the possibility of uNK cells involvement on RIF and RM pathophysiology, possible treatments including glucocorticoids, intralipids, and intravenous immunoglobulin administration have been proposed towards addressing uNK related RIF and RM. When considering clinical routine practice, this study indicated that solid evidence is required to report on efficiency and safety of these treatments as there are recommendations that clearly advise against their employment. In conclusion, defining a causative relationship between uNK and RIF–RM pathologies certainly merits investigation. Future studies should serve as a prerequisite prior to proposing the use of uNK as a biomarker or prior to targeting uNK cells for therapeutic purposes addressing RIF and RM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konstantinos Sfakianoudis
- Centre for Human Reproduction, Genesis Athens Clinic, 14-16, Papanikoli, 15232 Athens, Greece; (K.S.); (A.P.); (M.C.); (K.P.)
| | - Anna Rapani
- Laboratory of Physiology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 75, Mikras Asias, 11527 Athens, Greece; (A.R.); (S.G.); (E.M.); (G.K.); (C.T.)
| | - Sokratis Grigoriadis
- Laboratory of Physiology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 75, Mikras Asias, 11527 Athens, Greece; (A.R.); (S.G.); (E.M.); (G.K.); (C.T.)
- Assisted Conception Unit, Second Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Aretaieion Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 76, Vasilisis Sofias Avenue, 11528 Athens, Greece
| | - Agni Pantou
- Centre for Human Reproduction, Genesis Athens Clinic, 14-16, Papanikoli, 15232 Athens, Greece; (K.S.); (A.P.); (M.C.); (K.P.)
- Laboratory of Physiology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 75, Mikras Asias, 11527 Athens, Greece; (A.R.); (S.G.); (E.M.); (G.K.); (C.T.)
| | - Evangelos Maziotis
- Laboratory of Physiology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 75, Mikras Asias, 11527 Athens, Greece; (A.R.); (S.G.); (E.M.); (G.K.); (C.T.)
- Assisted Conception Unit, Second Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Aretaieion Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 76, Vasilisis Sofias Avenue, 11528 Athens, Greece
| | - Georgia Kokkini
- Laboratory of Physiology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 75, Mikras Asias, 11527 Athens, Greece; (A.R.); (S.G.); (E.M.); (G.K.); (C.T.)
| | - Chrysanthi Tsirligkani
- Laboratory of Physiology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 75, Mikras Asias, 11527 Athens, Greece; (A.R.); (S.G.); (E.M.); (G.K.); (C.T.)
| | - Stamatis Bolaris
- Assisted Conception Unit, General-Maternity District Hospital "Elena Venizelou", Elenas Venizelou Avenue, 11521 Athens, Greece;
| | - Konstantinos Nikolettos
- Assisted Reproduction Unit of Thrace “Embryokosmogenesis”, Apalos, 68132 Alexandroupoli, Greece;
| | - Margarita Chronopoulou
- Centre for Human Reproduction, Genesis Athens Clinic, 14-16, Papanikoli, 15232 Athens, Greece; (K.S.); (A.P.); (M.C.); (K.P.)
| | - Konstantinos Pantos
- Centre for Human Reproduction, Genesis Athens Clinic, 14-16, Papanikoli, 15232 Athens, Greece; (K.S.); (A.P.); (M.C.); (K.P.)
| | - Mara Simopoulou
- Laboratory of Physiology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 75, Mikras Asias, 11527 Athens, Greece; (A.R.); (S.G.); (E.M.); (G.K.); (C.T.)
- Assisted Conception Unit, Second Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Aretaieion Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 76, Vasilisis Sofias Avenue, 11528 Athens, Greece
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +30-21-0746-2592
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Biology and pathology of the uterine microenvironment and its natural killer cells. Cell Mol Immunol 2021; 18:2101-2113. [PMID: 34426671 PMCID: PMC8429689 DOI: 10.1038/s41423-021-00739-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Tissues are the new frontier of discoveries in immunology. Cells of the immune system are an integral part of tissue physiology and immunity. Determining how immune cells inhabit, housekeep, and defend gut, lung, brain, liver, uterus, and other organs helps revealing the intimate details of tissue physiology and may offer new therapeutic targets to treat pathologies. The uterine microenvironment modulates the development and function of innate lymphoid cells [ILC, largely represented by natural killer (NK) cells], macrophages, T cells, and dendritic cells. These immune cells, in turn, contribute to tissue homeostasis. Regulated by ovarian hormones, the human uterine mucosa (endometrium) undergoes ~400 monthly cycles of breakdown and regeneration from menarche to menopause, with its fibroblasts, glands, blood vessels, and immune cells remodeling the tissue into the transient decidua. Even more transformative changes occur upon blastocyst implantation. Before the placenta is formed, the endometrial glands feed the embryo by histiotrophic nutrition while the uterine spiral arteries are stripped of their endothelial layer and smooth muscle actin. This arterial remodeling is carried out by invading fetal trophoblast and maternal immune cells, chiefly uterine NK (uNK) cells, which also assist fetal growth. The transformed arteries no longer respond to maternal stimuli and meet the increasing demands of the growing fetus. This review focuses on how the everchanging uterine microenvironment affects uNK cells and how uNK cells regulate homeostasis of the decidua, placenta development, and fetal growth. Determining these pathways will help understand the causes of major pregnancy complications.
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A Brief Analysis of Tissue-Resident NK Cells in Pregnancy and Endometrial Diseases: The Importance of Pharmacologic Modulation. IMMUNO 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/immuno1030011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
NK cells are lymphocytes involved in the innate and adaptative immune response. These cells are located in peripheral blood and tissues with ample functions, from immune vigilant to tolerogenic reactions. In the endometrium, NK cell populations vary depending on age, hormones, and inflammation. When pregnancy occurs, tissue-resident NK cells and conventional NK cells are recruited to protect the fetus, a tolerogenic response. On the contrary, in the inflamed endometrium, various inflammatory cells down-regulate NK tolerance and impair embryo implantation. Therefore, NK cells’ pharmacological modulation is difficult to achieve. Several strategies have been used, from progesterone, lipid emulsions to steroids; the success has not been as expected. However, new therapeutic approaches have been proposed to decrease the endometrial inflammatory burden and increase pregnancy success based on understanding NK cell physiology.
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Gharanei S, Fishwick K, Peter Durairaj R, Jin T, Siamantouras E, Liu KK, Straube A, Lucas ES, Weston CJ, Rantakari P, Salmi M, Jalkanen S, Brosens JJ, Tan BK. Vascular Adhesion Protein-1 Determines the Cellular Properties of Endometrial Pericytes. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 8:621016. [PMID: 33537312 PMCID: PMC7848099 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.621016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Vascular adhesion protein-1 (VAP-1) is an inflammation-inducible adhesion molecule and a primary amine oxidase involved in immune cell trafficking. Leukocyte extravasation into tissues is mediated by adhesion molecules expressed on endothelial cells and pericytes. Pericytes play a major role in the angiogenesis and vascularization of cycling endometrium. However, the functional properties of pericytes in the human endometrium are not known. Here we show that pericytes surrounding the spiral arterioles in midluteal human endometrium constitutively express VAP-1. We first characterize these pericytes and demonstrate that knockdown of VAP-1 perturbed their biophysical properties and compromised their contractile, migratory, adhesive and clonogenic capacities. Furthermore, we show that loss of VAP-1 disrupts pericyte-uterine natural killer cell interactions in vitro. Taken together, the data not only reveal that endometrial pericytes represent a cell population with distinct biophysical and functional properties but also suggest a pivotal role for VAP-1 in regulating the recruitment of innate immune cells in human endometrium. We posit that VAP-1 could serve as a potential biomarker for pregnancy pathologies caused by a compromised perivascular environment prior to conception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seley Gharanei
- Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
- Warwickshire Institute for the Study of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire National Health Service Trust, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Tianrong Jin
- School of Engineering, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | | | - Kuo-Kang Liu
- School of Engineering, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Anne Straube
- Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
- Centre for Mechanochemical Cell Biology, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Emma S. Lucas
- Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
- Tommy's National Centre for Miscarriage Research, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Christopher J. Weston
- Centre for Liver Research & National Institute for Health Research Birmingham Biomedical Research Unit, Level 5 Institute for Biomedical Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Pia Rantakari
- Medicity Research Laboratory and Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Marko Salmi
- Medicity Research Laboratory and Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Sirpa Jalkanen
- Medicity Research Laboratory and Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Jan J. Brosens
- Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
- Tommy's National Centre for Miscarriage Research, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Bee Kang Tan
- Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences and Diabetes Research Centre, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Hospitals of Leicester National Health Service Trust, Leicester, United Kingdom
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Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells are innate lymphocytes specialized in immune surveillance against tumors and infections. To reach their optimal functional status, NK cells must undergo a process of maturation from immature to mature NK cells. Genetically modified mice, as well as in vivo and in vitro NK cell differentiation assays, have begun to reveal the landscape of the regulatory network involved in NK cell maturation, in which a balance of cytokine signaling pathways leads to an optimal coordination of transcription factor activity. An increased understanding of NK cell maturation will greatly promote the development and application of NK cell-based clinical therapy. Thus, in this review, we summarize the dynamics of NK cell maturation, describe recently identified factors involved in the regulation of the NK cell maturation process, including cytokines and transcription factors, and discuss the importance of NK cell maturation in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiacheng Bi
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xuefu Wang
- Anhui Provincial Laboratory of Inflammatory and Immunity Disease, School of Pharmacy, Anhui Institute of Innovative Drugs, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
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Hashemi E, Malarkannan S. Tissue-Resident NK Cells: Development, Maturation, and Clinical Relevance. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12061553. [PMID: 32545516 PMCID: PMC7352973 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12061553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2020] [Revised: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells belong to type 1 innate lymphoid cells (ILC1) and are essential in killing infected or transformed cells. NK cells mediate their effector functions using non-clonotypic germ-line-encoded activation receptors. The utilization of non-polymorphic and conserved activating receptors promoted the conceptual dogma that NK cells are homogeneous with limited but focused immune functions. However, emerging studies reveal that NK cells are highly heterogeneous with divergent immune functions. A distinct combination of several activation and inhibitory receptors form a diverse array of NK cell subsets in both humans and mice. Importantly, one of the central factors that determine NK cell heterogeneity and their divergent functions is their tissue residency. Decades of studies provided strong support that NK cells develop in the bone marrow. However, evolving evidence supports the notion that NK cells also develop and differentiate in tissues. Here, we summarize the molecular basis, phenotypic signatures, and functions of tissue-resident NK cells and compare them with conventional NK cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elaheh Hashemi
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology and Immunotherapy, Blood Research Institute, Versiti, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA;
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Subramaniam Malarkannan
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology and Immunotherapy, Blood Research Institute, Versiti, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA;
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
- Department of Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
- Correspondence:
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