Expansions of adaptive-like NK cells with a tissue-resident phenotype in human lung and blood
Demi Brownlie, Marlena Scharenberg, Jeff E. Mold, Joanna Hård, Eliisa Kekäläinen, Marcus Buggert, Son Nguyen, Jennifer N. Wilson, Mamdoh Al‐Ameri, Hans‐Gustaf Ljunggren, Nicole Marquardt, Jakob Michaëlsson
Abstract
Significance Respiratory diseases are leading causes of death worldwide. However, the local immune cell composition in the human lung and individual outliers within the population still remain largely undescribed. We here identify adaptive-like NK cell expansions with tissue-resident traits in lung and blood in approximately 20% of individuals. This particular NK cell subset, which differed from adaptive-like CD16 + blood NK cells, was hyperresponsive to target cell stimulation. Individuals with such in vivo-primed, expanded NK cells will likely experience a different course of acute lung disease such as viral infections. Furthermore, we believe that target cell-hyperresponsive tissue-resident NK cells represent a future tool in the treatment of lung cancer.