NK cells articles from across Nature Portfolio

Here the authors identify the transcription factor MEF2C as essential for human NK cell function and viral immunity in mice and humans. This control is exerted via regulation of lipid metabolism, and deficiency in MEF2C can be overcome by oleic acid supplementation.

Siliciano and colleagues describe the generation of bispecific antibodies that target the HIV-1 envelope protein (Env) on the surface of HIV-1-infected cells and the receptor CD16 on the surface of NK cells to induce the NK cell-mediated lysis of HIV-1-infected cells and reduce the viral reservoir.

In the final report of a phase 1/2 trial evaluating allogeneic CD19-specific CAR-NK cells armored with IL-15 in patients with CD19⁺ hematologic malignancies, the therapy was shown to be safe and efficacious with distinct cord blood features associated with response.

Here the authors review CAR T cell engineering and immunotherapy for cancer and juxtapose state-of-the-art developments with CAR NK cells as part of our Cancer Immunology series of Reviews.

Innate immunity represents the first line of defence against pathogens, but certain innate cells are capable of memory formation, albeit with different and lesser-known mechanisms than adoptive immune cells. Here authors show that Themis2 regulates both memory NK cell development and function, via distinct downstream pathways.

Uterine natural killer (NK) cells support tissue homeostasis in the uterus during pregnancy, but it is not fully known how they differentiate into potentially cytotoxic effector cells while avoiding tissue damage. Here authors show that Il21 receptor signalling via STAT3 activation governs their differentiation, while an apoptotic cell death program ensures that harm is limited.

Determining the immune crosstalk between macrophages and NK cells in bronchioalveolar lavage fluid during SARS-CoV-2 infection in macaques identifies immunoregulatory properties of NK cells and their implications for viral persistence.

The immune system is not immune to sex differences. New research now uncovers the molecular mechanisms that underlie sex-based differences during antiviral immune responses.

Clonal expansion and immunological memory of lymphocytes provide protective immunity against repeated pathogen exposure in mammals. New technologies are enabling the investigation of these intricate processes, focusing on human natural killer cells during human cytomegalovirus infection.

A preprint by Cheng et al. describes how differential expression of the X-chromosome-encoded epigenetic regulator UTX contributes to sex-based differences in natural killer cell frequency and function.