Frontiers in Immunology (Jun 2022)

Fucosylation Promotes Cytolytic Function and Accumulation of NK Cells in B Cell Lymphoma

  • Xing Tong,
  • Xing Tong,
  • Xing Tong,
  • Xing Tong,
  • Yuhua Ru,
  • Yuhua Ru,
  • Yuhua Ru,
  • Jianhong Fu,
  • Jianhong Fu,
  • Jianhong Fu,
  • Ying Wang,
  • Ying Wang,
  • Ying Wang,
  • Jinjin Zhu,
  • Jinjin Zhu,
  • Jinjin Zhu,
  • Yiyang Ding,
  • Yiyang Ding,
  • Yiyang Ding,
  • Fulian Lv,
  • Fulian Lv,
  • Fulian Lv,
  • Menglu Yang,
  • Menglu Yang,
  • Menglu Yang,
  • Xiya Wei,
  • Xiya Wei,
  • Xiya Wei,
  • Chenchen Liu,
  • Chenchen Liu,
  • Chenchen Liu,
  • Xin Liu,
  • Xin Liu,
  • Xin Liu,
  • Lei Lei,
  • Lei Lei,
  • Lei Lei,
  • Xiaojin Wu,
  • Xiaojin Wu,
  • Xiaojin Wu,
  • Lingchuan Guo,
  • Yang Xu,
  • Yang Xu,
  • Yang Xu,
  • Jie Li,
  • Peng Wu,
  • Huanle Gong,
  • Huanle Gong,
  • Huanle Gong,
  • Jia Chen,
  • Jia Chen,
  • Jia Chen,
  • Depei Wu,
  • Depei Wu,
  • Depei Wu

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2022.904693
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13

Abstract

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Natural killer (NK) cells have been demonstrated as a promising cellular therapy as they exert potent anti-tumor immune responses. However, applications of NK cells to tumor immunotherapy, especially in the treatment of advanced hematopoietic and solid malignancies, are still limited due to the compromised survival and short persistence of the transferred NK cells in vivo. Here, we observed that fucosyltransferase (FUT) 7 and 8 were highly expressed on NK cells, and the expression of CLA was positively correlated with the accumulation of NK cells in clinical B cell lymphoma development. Via enzyme-mediated ex vivo cell-surface fucosylation, the cytolytic effect of NK cells against B cell lymphoma was significantly augmented. Fucosylation also promoted NK cell accumulation in B cell lymphoma-targeted tissues by enhancing their binding to E-selectin. Moreover, fucosylation of NK cells also facilitated stronger T cell anti-tumor immune responses. These findings suggest that ex vivo fucosylation contributes to enhancing the effector functions of NK cells and may serve as a novel strategy for tumor immunotherapy.

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