Communications Biology (Jul 2021)

Tumor-derived NKG2D ligand sMIC reprograms NK cells to an inflammatory phenotype through CBM signalosome activation

  • Payal Dhar,
  • Fahmin Basher,
  • Zhe Ji,
  • Lei Huang,
  • Si Qin,
  • Derek A. Wainwright,
  • Jerid Robinson,
  • Shaye Hagler,
  • Jing Zhou,
  • Sean MacKay,
  • Jennifer D. Wu

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-021-02440-3
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 4, no. 1
pp. 1 – 16

Abstract

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Dhar et al used primary human and mouse natural killer (NK) cells to demonstrate that tumor-derived NKG2D ligand soluble MIC (sMIC) can reprogram the NK cells to secrete pro-tumorigenic cytokines with diminished cytotoxicity and polyfunctional potential. Their study provides a rationale for co-targeting sMIC in order to enhance current NK cell-based cancer immunotherapies.