NK cell subsets and dysfunction during viral infection: a new avenue for therapeutics?

Frontiers in Immunology

Immunology

Jacob C. Bjorgen¹  Joshua Rhein¹  Geoffrey T. Hart²  Jenna K. Dick²  Ross Cromarty³ 

[1] Division of Infectious Diseases and International Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States;Division of Infectious Diseases and International Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States;Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States;Center for Immunology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States;Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States;

关键词: NK cells;    NK cell dysfunction;    HIV;    hepatitis C;    CMV;    influenza;    SARS-CoV-2;    immunotherapy;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fimmu.2023.1267774

 received in 2023-07-27, accepted in 2023-09-25,  发布年份 2023

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

In the setting of viral challenge, natural killer (NK) cells play an important role as an early immune responder against infection. During this response, significant changes in the NK cell population occur, particularly in terms of their frequency, location, and subtype prevalence. In this review, changes in the NK cell repertoire associated with several pathogenic viral infections are summarized, with a particular focus placed on changes that contribute to NK cell dysregulation in these settings. This dysregulation, in turn, can contribute to host pathology either by causing NK cells to be hyperresponsive or hyporesponsive. Hyperresponsive NK cells mediate significant host cell death and contribute to generating a hyperinflammatory environment. Hyporesponsive NK cell populations shift toward exhaustion and often fail to limit viral pathogenesis, possibly enabling viral persistence. Several emerging therapeutic approaches aimed at addressing NK cell dysregulation have arisen in the last three decades in the setting of cancer and may prove to hold promise in treating viral diseases. However, the application of such therapeutics to treat viral infections remains critically underexplored. This review briefly explores several therapeutic approaches, including the administration of TGF-β inhibitors, immune checkpoint inhibitors, adoptive NK cell therapies, CAR NK cells, and NK cell engagers among other therapeutics.

【 授权许可】

Unknown   
Copyright © 2023 Bjorgen, Dick, Cromarty, Hart and Rhein