Natural Killer Cells News and Research

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Severe COVID-19 is associated with expansion of immature myeloid cells and inflammation

A team of scientists in Ireland recently identified certain immune markers that can predict the progression of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection to severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Early detection of these predictive markers can facilitate therapeutic decision-making prior to peak severity.

7 Sep 2021

Scientists identify potential biomarkers to predict COVID-19 outcomes

A team of scientists from the United States has recently examined the trajectory of early immune biomarkers in response to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. They have identified specific plasma proteins that can accurately predict the clinical and virological outcomes in SARS-CoV-2 infected patients. The study is currently available on the medRxiv* preprint server.

31 Aug 2021

Magnetic nanoparticles could enhance the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy

Boosting the function of natural killer cells with magnetic nanoparticles could make cancer immunotherapy more efficient.

6 Aug 2021

UAB researchers identify potential therapeutic target for ovarian cancer

A gene called DOT1L appears to play a role in progression and severity of ovarian cancer, and inhibitors of the DOT1L enzyme may offer a new therapeutic approach for the disease, University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers say in a study published in the journal Oncogenesis.

5 Aug 2021

The role of natural killer cells in the fight against coronavirus infection

This study proposes a mathematical framework to analyze the effect of the viruses on type I interferon (IFN-I) signaling, which is part of the innate immune response. IFN-I brings about natural killer cell activation, which in turn causes the activation of macrophages.

4 Aug 2021

Lipid blast shield protects natural killer cells and also some cancer cells

A newly discovered fat 'shield' that prevents natural killer cells from being destroyed by their own deadly biological weapons also allows some cancer cells to evade an immune system attack, a study at Columbia University has found.

3 Aug 2021

Could the activation of FcγRIII/CD16 by anti-spike SARS-CoV-2 antibodies independently determine COVID-19 severity?

A team of scientists from Germany recently investigated whether hyperactivation of immune receptors that recognize the Fc part of an IgG molecule (FcγR) can lead to immunopathologic changes in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients. They have observed that hyperactivation of FcγRIII (CD16) by proinflammatory IgG antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) can significantly contribute to COVID-19 related immunopathology.

28 Jun 2021

Promising immunotherapy uses cancer-killing cells to destroy malignant tumors

Researchers at McMaster University have developed a promising new cancer immunotherapy that uses cancer-killing cells genetically engineered outside the body to find and destroy malignant tumors.

28 Jun 2021

Anti-inflammatory nanoparticles could be applied to the weakening muscles of DMD patients

Muscular dystrophies are a group of genetic diseases that lead to the progressive loss of muscle mass and function in patients, with the incurable Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), which affects all the body's muscles primarily in boys, being particularly severe.

25 Jun 2021

COVID-19 studies should provide sex-disaggregated data, researchers warn

Researchers have warned that studies examining sex-specific responses to infection with SARS-CoV-2 must provide sex-disaggregated data.

21 Jun 2021

The role of natural killer cells in fight against viral infections including SARS-CoV-2

In an effort to further understand the role of NK cells in combatting COVID-19, a group of researchers explored NK cells in acute viral infections, citing flavivirus and influenza virus infections as examples.

17 Jun 2021

Using natural killers from the immune system to target breast cancer cells

It sounds like a plot from a Quentin Tarantino movie -- something sets off natural killers and sends them on a killing spree.

16 Jun 2021

AI identifies gene signatures to reveal patients’ immune responses to viral infection

Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine used an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm to sift through terabytes of gene expression data -- which genes are "on" or "off" during infection -- to look for shared patterns in patients with past pandemic viral infections, including SARS, MERS and swine flu.

11 Jun 2021

Measuring how patterns of gene expression change in children may help predict T1D progression

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease in which a misdirected immune system gradually destroys healthy pancreatic islet β cells, resulting in a lack of insulin.

7 Jun 2021

Depleting SIRPα-deficient in macrophages activate tumor antigen-specific cytotoxic T cells

In a study that will be published in Nature Communications on May 28, 2021, a research team led by Dr. Yuan Liu from Georgia State University reports that intratumoral SIRPα-deficient macrophages activate tumor antigen-specific cytotoxic T cells to eliminate various syngeneic cancers under radiotherapy.

2 Jun 2021

Do vaccinations result in anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in human milk?

The aim of this study investigates the impact of different types of vaccines on the anti-SARS-CoV-2 Immunoglobulin A (IgA) and Immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody levels found in human milk.

25 May 2021

Study could lead to new antibiotics to fight bacterial infections

One member of a large protein family that is known to stop the spread of bacterial infections by prompting infected human cells to self-destruct appears to kill the infectious bacteria instead, a new study led by UT Southwestern scientists shows.

21 May 2021

NK cells combined with bispecific antibody display potent anti-tumor activity against lymphoma cells

Cytokine-activated natural killer (NK) cells derived from donated umbilical cord blood, combined with an investigational bispecific antibody targeting CD16a and CD30 known as AFM13, displayed potent anti-tumor activity against CD30+ lymphoma cells, according to a new preclinical study from researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

13 May 2021

Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine effective in patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms

Researchers in the UK have provided evidence that Pfizer-BioNTech’s coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine induces effective immune responses in patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms.