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Natural Killer Cells: From Bench to Bedside
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Natural Killer Cells: From Bench to Bedside

A special issue of Immuno (ISSN 2673-5601). This special issue belongs to the section "Innate Immunity and Inflammation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2022) | Viewed by 15576

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Juan Bautista De Sanctis

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, The Czech Advanced Technology and Research Institute (Catrin), Palacky University, Hněvotínská 1333/5, 779 00 Olomouc, Czech Republic
Interests: inflammation; immunology; flow cytometry; metabolism; cell culture; immunology of infectious diseases; autoimmunity; pharmacology; gene expression; genetics; RNA
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Natural Killer (NK) cells were discovered more than five decades ago, and since then the role of these cells in different physiological and pathological responses has been studied extensively. However, more research is required to understand the different responses of NK cells, their subpopulations, their modulation, the importance of a wide variety of receptors, their interaction with several cell types to either promote cell responses or destroy them, and their response to therapies in different diseases. In summary, more information is required to ascertain the role of these cells in the innate immune response and the adaptive immune response. NK cells have been shown to be involved in the tolerogenic response, pregnancy, the anti-tumor response, antiviral responses, transplantation, parasitic diseases, aging, and some other diseases. NK tumors and immunodeficiencies have also been studied. This Special Issue aims to provide a general overview of NK cells, from fundamental science to clinical research, the potential use of these cells in different models, and how therapy may modulate their function. By providing a broad overview of NK cell research, we hope that readers will gain a better understanding of these cells and their role in the immune response. Any contribution on NK cells, independently of the species, is welcome.

 

Prof. Dr. Juan Bautista De Sanctis
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Immuno is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1000 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Cytotoxicity
  • Tolerance
  • Transplant
  • Therapy
  • Cancer
  • Viral diseases
  • Parasitic diseases
  • Aging
  • Immune deficiency

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Review

16 pages, 1246 KiB  
Review
Overview of Memory NK Cells in Viral Infections: Possible Role in SARS-CoV-2 Infection
by Juan Bautista De Sanctis, Jenny Valentina Garmendia and Marián Hajdúch
Immuno 2022, 2(1), 52-67; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/immuno2010005 - 05 Jan 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 4187
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 [...] Read more.
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. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Killer Cells: From Bench to Bedside)
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28 pages, 2250 KiB  
Review
Role of KIR Receptor in NK Regulation during Viral Infections
by Sabrina Rizzo, Giovanna Schiuma, Silvia Beltrami, Valentina Gentili, Roberta Rizzo and Daria Bortolotti
Immuno 2021, 1(3), 305-331; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/immuno1030021 - 06 Sep 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 6769
Abstract
Natural Killer (NK) cells are key effectors of the innate immune system which represent the first line of defense against viral infections. NK cell activation depends on the engagement of a complex receptor repertoire expressed on their surface, consisting of both activating and [...] Read more.
Natural Killer (NK) cells are key effectors of the innate immune system which represent the first line of defense against viral infections. NK cell activation depends on the engagement of a complex receptor repertoire expressed on their surface, consisting of both activating and inhibitory receptors. Among the known NK cell receptors, the family of killer Ig-like receptors (KIRs) consists in activating/inhibitory receptors that interact with specific human leukocyte antigen (HLA) molecules expressed on target cells. In particular, the expression of peculiar KIRs have been reported to be associated to viral infection susceptibility. Interestingly, a significant association between the development and onset of different human pathologies, such as tumors, neurodegeneration and infertility, and a clonal KIRs expression on NK cells has been described in presence of viral infections, supporting the crucial role of KIRs in defining the effect of viral infections in different tissues and organs. This review aims to report the state of art about the role of KIRs receptors in NK cell activation and viral infection control. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Killer Cells: From Bench to Bedside)
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20 pages, 975 KiB  
Review
A Brief Analysis of Tissue-Resident NK Cells in Pregnancy and Endometrial Diseases: The Importance of Pharmacologic Modulation
by Jenny Valentina Garmendia and Juan Bautista De Sanctis
Immuno 2021, 1(3), 174-193; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/immuno1030011 - 02 Jul 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3358
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. [...] Read more.
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. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Natural Killer Cells: From Bench to Bedside)
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