Expansion of memory Vδ2 T cells following SARS-CoV-2 vaccination revealed by temporal single-cell transcriptomics.

γδ T cells provide rapid cellular immunity against pathogens. Here, we conducted matched single-cell RNA-sequencing and γδ-TCR-sequencing to delineate the molecular changes in γδ T cells during a longitudinal study following mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. While the first dose of vaccine primes Vδ2 T cells, it is the second administration that significantly boosts their immune response. Specifically, the second vaccination uncovers memory features of Vδ2 T cells, shaped by the induction of AP-1 family transcription factors and characterized by a convergent central memory signature, clonal expansion, and an enhanced effector potential. This temporally distinct effector response of Vδ2 T cells was also confirmed in vitro upon stimulation with SARS-CoV-2 spike-peptides. Indeed, the second challenge triggers a significantly higher production of IFNγ by Vδ2 T cells. Collectively, our findings suggest that mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccination might benefit from the establishment of long-lasting central memory Vδ2 T cells to confer protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Derived myeloid lineage induced pluripotent stem as a platform to study human C-C chemokine receptor type 5Δ32 homozygotes.

The C-C chemokine receptor type 5 (CCR5) expressed on immune cells supports inflammatory responses by directing cells to the inflammation site. CCR5 is also a major coreceptor for macrophage tropic human immunodeficiency viruses (R5-HIV-1) and its variants can confer protection from HIV infection, making it an ideal candidate to target for therapy. We developed a stepwise protocol that differentiates induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from individuals homozygous for the CCR5Δ32 variant and healthy volunteers into myeloid lineage induced monocytes (iMono) and macrophages (iMac). By characterizing iMono and iMac against their primary counterparts, we demonstrated that CCR5Δ32 homozygous cells are endowed with similar pluripotent potential for self-renewal and differentiation as iPSC lines generated from non-variant individuals while also showing resistance to HIV infection. In conclusion, these cells are a platform to investigate CCR5 pathophysiology in HIV-positive and negative individuals and to help develop novel therapies.

Transcriptomic profile of TNFhigh MAIT cells is linked to B cell response following SARS-CoV-2 vaccination.

Introduction: Higher frequencies of mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells were associated with an increased adaptive response to mRNA BNT162b2 SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, however, the mechanistic insights into this relationship are unknown. In the present study, we hypothesized that the TNF response of MAIT cells supports B cell activation following SARS-CoV-2 immunization. Methods: To investigate the effects of repeated SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations on the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), we performed a longitudinal single cell (sc)RNA-seq and scTCR-seq analysis of SARS-CoV-2 vaccinated healthy adults with two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine. Collection of PBMCs was performed 1 day before, 3 and 17 days after prime vaccination, and 3 days and 3 months following vaccine boost. Based on scRNA/TCR-seq data related to regulatory signals induced by the vaccine, we used computational approaches for the functional pathway enrichment analysis (Reactome), dynamics of the effector cell-polarization (RNA Velocity and CellRank), and cell-cell communication (NicheNet). Results: We identified MAIT cells as an important source of TNF across circulating lymphocytes in response to repeated SARS-CoV-2 BNT162b2 vaccination. The TNFhigh signature of MAIT cells was induced by the second administration of the vaccine. Notably, the increased TNF expression was associated with MAIT cell proliferation and efficient anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody production. Finally, by decoding the ligand-receptor interactions and incorporating intracellular signaling, we predicted TNFhigh MAIT cell interplay with different B cell subsets. In specific, predicted TNF-mediated activation was selectively directed to conventional switched memory B cells, which are deputed to high-affinity long-term memory. Discussion: Overall, our results indicate that SARS-CoV-2 BNT162b2 vaccination influences MAIT cell frequencies and their transcriptional effector profile with the potential to promote B cell activation. This research also provides a blueprint for the promising use of MAIT cells as cellular adjuvants in mRNA-based vaccines.

Identification of Tissue-Resident Natural Killer and T Lymphocytes with Anti-Tumor Properties in Ascites of Ovarian Cancer Patients.

Women with ovarian cancer have limited therapy options, with immunotherapy being unsatisfactory for a large group of patients. Tumor cells spread from the ovary or the fallopian tube into the abdominal cavity, which is commonly accompanied with massive ascites production. The ascites represents a unique peritoneal liquid tumor microenvironment with the presence of both tumor and immune cells, including cytotoxic lymphocytes. We characterized lymphocytes in ascites from patients with high-grade serous ovarian cancer. Our data reveal the presence of NK and CD8+ T lymphocytes expressing CD103 and CD49a, which are markers of tissue residency. Moreover, these cells express high levels of the inhibitory NKG2A receptor, with the highest expression level detected on tissue-resident NK cells. Lymphocytes with these features were also present at the primary tumor site. Functional assays showed that tissue-resident NK cells in ascites are highly responsive towards ovarian tumor cells. Similar results were observed in an in vivo mouse model, in which tissue-resident NK and CD8+ T cells were detected in the peritoneal fluid upon tumor growth. Together, our data reveal the presence of highly functional lymphocyte populations that may be targeted to improve immunotherapy for patients with ovarian cancer.

NKG2A Immune Checkpoint in Vδ2 T Cells: Emerging Application in Cancer Immunotherapy.

Immune regulation has revolutionized cancer treatment with the introduction of T-cell-targeted immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). This successful immunotherapy has led to a more complete view of cancer that now considers not only the cancer cells to be targeted and destroyed but also the immune environment of the cancer cells. Current challenges associated with the enhancement of ICI effects are increasing the fraction of responding patients through personalized combinations of multiple ICIs and overcoming acquired resistance. This requires a complete overview of the anti-tumor immune response, which depends on a complex interplay between innate and adaptive immune cells with the tumor microenvironment. The NKG2A was revealed to be a key immune checkpoint for both Natural Killer (NK) cells and T cells. Monalizumab, a humanized anti-NKG2A antibody, enhances NK cell activity against various tumor cells and rescues CD8 αß T cell function in combination with PD-1/PD-L1 blockade. In this review, we discuss the potential for targeting NKG2A expressed on tumor-sensing human γδ T cells, mostly on the specific Vδ2 T cell subset, in order to emphasize its importance and potential in the development of new ICI-based therapeutic approaches.

Natural Killer Cells in SARS-CoV-2 Infection: Pathophysiology and Therapeutic Implications.

Natural Killer (NK) cells are lymphocytes of the innate immunity that play a crucial role in the control of viral infections in the absence of a prior antigen sensitization. Indeed, they display rapid effector functions against target cells with the capability of direct cell killing and antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity. Furthermore, NK cells are endowed with immune-modulatory functions innate and adaptive immune responses via the secretion of chemokines/cytokines and by undertaking synergic crosstalks with other innate immune cells, including monocyte/macrophages, dendritic cells and neutrophils. Recently, the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has spread globally. Although the specific role of NK cells in COVID-19 pathophysiology still need to be explored, mounting evidence indicates that NK cell tissue distribution and effector functions could be affected by SARS-CoV-2 infection and that a prompt NK cell response could determine a good clinical outcome in COVID-19 patients. In this review, we give a comprehensive overview of how SARS-CoV-2 infection interferes with NK cell antiviral effectiveness and their crosstalk with other innate immune cells. We also provide a detailed characterization of the specific NK cell subsets in relation to COVID-19 patient severity generated from publicly available single cell RNA sequencing datasets. Finally, we summarize the possible NK cell-based therapeutic approaches against SARS-CoV-2 infection and the ongoing clinical trials updated at the time of submission of this review. We will also discuss how a deep understanding of NK cell responses could open new possibilities for the treatment and prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Intrahepatic CD69+Vδ1 T cells re-circulate in the blood of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer and limit tumor progression.

BACKGROUND: More than 50% of all patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) develop liver metastases (CLM), a clinical condition characterized by poor prognosis and lack of reliable prognostic markers. Vδ1 cells are a subset of tissue-resident gamma delta (γδ) T lymphocytes endowed with a broad array of antitumor functions and showing a natural high tropism for the liver. However, little is known about their impact in the clinical outcomes of CLM. METHODS: We isolated human γδ T cells from peripheral blood (PB) and peritumoral (PT) tissue of 93 patients undergone surgical procedures to remove CLM. The phenotype of freshly purified γδ T cells was assessed by multiparametric flow cytometry, the transcriptional profiles by single cell RNA-sequencing, the functional annotations by Gene Ontology enrichment analyses and the clonotype by γδ T cell receptor (TCR)-sequencing. RESULTS: The microenvironment of CLM is characterized by a heterogeneous immune infiltrate comprising different subsets of γδ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) able to egress the liver and re-circulate in PB. Vδ1 T cells represent the largest population of γδ TILs within the PT compartment of CLM that is greatly enriched in Vδ1 T effector (TEF) cells expressing constitutive high levels of CD69. These Vδ1 CD69+ TILs express a distinct phenotype and transcriptional signature, show high antitumor potential and correlate with better patient clinical outcomes in terms of lower numbers of liver metastatic lesions and longer overall survival (OS). Moreover, intrahepatic CD69+ Vδ1 TILs can egress CLM tissue to re-circulate in PB, where they retain a phenotype, transcriptional signature and TCR clonal repertoires resembling their liver origin. Importantly, even the increased frequencies of the CD69+ terminally differentiated (TEMRA) Vδ1 cells in PB of patients with CLM significantly correlate with longer OS. The positive prognostic score of high frequencies of CD69+ TEMRA Vδ1 cells in PB is independent from the neoadjuvant chemotherapy and immunotherapy regimens administered to patients with CLM prior surgery. CONCLUSIONS: The enrichment of tissue-resident CD69+ Vδ1 TEMRA cells re-circulating at high frequencies in PB of patients with CLM limits tumor progression and represents a new important clinical tool to either predict the natural history of CLM or develop alternative therapeutic protocols of cellular therapies.

Perioperative corticosteroid treatment impairs tumor-infiltrating dendritic cells in patients with newly diagnosed adult-type diffuse gliomas.

Introduction: Adult-type diffuse gliomas are malignant primary brain tumors characterized by very poor prognosis. Dendritic cells (DCs) are key in priming antitumor effector functions in cancer, but their role in gliomas remains poorly understood. Methods: In this study, we characterized tumor-infiltrating DCs (TIDCs) in adult patients with newly diagnosed diffuse gliomas by using multi-parametric flow cytometry and single-cell RNA sequencing. Results: We demonstrated that different subsets of DCs are present in the glioma microenvironment, whereas they are absent in cancer-free brain parenchyma. The largest cluster of TIDCs was characterized by a transcriptomic profile suggestive of severe functional impairment. Patients undergoing perioperative corticosteroid treatment showed a significant reduction of conventional DC1s, the DC subset with key functions in antitumor immunity. They also showed phenotypic and transcriptional evidence of a more severe functional impairment of TIDCs. Discussion: Overall, the results of this study indicate that functionally impaired DCs are recruited in the glioma microenvironment. They are severely affected by dexamethasone administration, suggesting that the detrimental effects of corticosteroids on DCs may represent one of the mechanisms contributing to the already reported negative prognostic impact of steroids on glioma patient survival.

NKG2A expression identifies a subset of human Vδ2 T cells exerting the highest antitumor effector functions.

Human Vδ2 cells are innate-like γδ T effectors performing potent immune surveillance against tumors. The constitutive expression of NKG2A identifies a subset of Vδ2 T cells licensed with an intrinsic hyper-responsiveness against cancer. Indeed, the transcriptomic profiles of NKG2A+ and NKG2A- cells characterize two distinct "intralineages" of Vδ2 T lymphocytes that appear early during development, keep their phenotypes, and show self-renewal capabilities in adult life. The hyper-responsiveness of NKG2A+ Vδ2 T cells is counterbalanced by the inhibitory signaling delivered by human leukocyte antigen E (HLA-E) expressed on malignant cells as a tumor-escape mechanism. However, either masking or knocking out NKG2A restores the capacity of Vδ2 T cells to exert the highest effector functions even against HLA-E+ tumors. This is highly relevant in the clinic, as the different degrees of engagement of the NKG2A-HLA-E checkpoint in hepatocellular carcinoma, glioblastoma, and non-small cell lung cancer directly impact patients' overall survival. These findings open avenues for developing combined cellular and immunologic anticancer therapies.

Natural Killer-Dendritic Cell Interactions in Liver Cancer: Implications for Immunotherapy.

Natural killer (NK) and dendritic cells (DCs) are innate immune cells that play a crucial role in anti-tumor immunity. NK cells kill tumor cells through direct cytotoxicity and cytokine secretion. DCs are needed for the activation of adaptive immune responses against tumor cells. Both NK cells and DCs are subdivided in several subsets endowed with specialized effector functions. Crosstalk between NK cells and DCs leads to the reciprocal control of their activation and polarization of immune responses. In this review, we describe the role of NK cells and DCs in liver cancer, focusing on the mechanisms involved in their reciprocal control and activation. In this context, intrahepatic NK cells and DCs present unique immunological features, due to the constant exposure to non-self-circulating antigens. These interactions might play a fundamental role in the pathology of primary liver cancer, namely hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). Additionally, the implications of these immune changes are relevant from the perspective of improving the cancer immunotherapy strategies in HCC and ICC patients.

APOL1 polymorphism modulates sphingolipid profile of human podocytes.

Apolipoprotein L1 (APOL1) wild type (G0) plays a role in the metabolism of sphingolipids, glycosphingolipids, sphingomyelin and ceramide, which constitute bioactive components of the lipid rafts (DRM). We asked whether APOL1 variants (APOL1-Vs) G1 and G2 carry the potential to alter the metabolism of sphingolipids in human podocytes. The sphingolipid pattern in HPs overexpressing either APOL1G0 or APOL1-Vs was analysed by using a thin mono- and bi-dimensional layer chromatography, mass-spectrometry and metabolic labelling with [1-3H]sphingosine. HP G0 and G1/G2-Vs exhibit a comparable decrease in lactosylceramide and an increase in the globotriaosylceramide content. An analysis of the main glycohydrolases activity involved in glycosphingolipid catabolism showed an overall decrease in the activeness of the tested enzymes, irrespective of the type of APOL1-Vs expression. Similarly, the high throughput cell live-based assay showed a comparable increased action of the plasma membrane glycosphingolipid-glycohydrolases in living cells independent of the genetic APOL1 expression profile. Importantly, the most significative modification of the sphingolipid pattern induced by APOL1-Vs occurred in DRM resulted with a drastic reduction of radioactivity associated with sphingolipids. G1/G2-Vs present a decrease amount of globotriaosylceramide and globopentaosylceramide compared to G0. Additionally, ceramide at the DRM site and lactosylceramide in general, showed a greatest fall in G1/G2 in comparison with G0. Additionally, the levels of glucosylceramide decreased only in the DRM of human podocytes overexpressing G1/G2-Vs. These findings suggest that altered sphingolipidsprofiles may contribute to the deranged functionality of the plasma membrane in APOL1 risk milieu.

Tumor microenvironment in primary liver tumors: A challenging role of natural killer cells.

In the last years, several studies have been focused on elucidate the role of tumor microenvironment (TME) in cancer development and progression. Within TME, cells from adaptive and innate immune system are one of the main abundant components. The dynamic interactions between immune and cancer cells lead to the activation of complex molecular mechanisms that sustain tumor growth. This important cross-talk has been elucidate for several kind of tumors and occurs also in patients with liver cancer, such as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA). Liver is well-known to be an important immunological organ with unique microenvironment. Here, in normal conditions, the rich immune-infiltrating cells cooperate with non-parenchymal cells, such as liver sinusoidal endothelial cells and Kupffer cells, favoring self-tolerance against gut antigens. The presence of underling liver immunosuppressive microenvironment highlights the importance to dissect the interaction between HCC and iCCA cells with immune infiltrating cells, in order to understand how this cross-talk promotes tumor growth. Deeper attention is, in fact, focused on immune-based therapy for these tumors, as promising approach to counteract the intrinsic anti-tumor activity of this microenvironment. In this review, we will examine the key pathways underlying TME cell-cell communications, with deeper focus on the role of natural killer cells in primary liver tumors, such as HCC and iCCA, as new opportunities for immune-based therapeutic strategies.

Chemotherapy accelerates immune-senescence and functional impairments of Vδ2pos T cells in elderly patients affected by liver metastatic colorectal cancer.

Human (gamma delta) γδ T cells are unconventional innate-like lymphocytes displaying a broad array of anti-tumor activities with promising perspectives in cancer immunotherapy. In this context, Vδ2pos T cells represent the preferential target of several immunotherapy protocols against solid tumors. However, the impact of both aging and chemotherapy (CHT) on Vδ2pos T cells is still unknown. The present study evaluates with multi-parametric flow cytometry the frequencies, terminal differentiation, senescence and effector-functions of peripheral blood and tumor infiltrating Vδ2pos T cells purified from liver metastases (CLM) of patients affected by colorectal cancer (CRC) compared to those of sex- and age-matched healthy donors. The peripheral blood of CLM patients underwent CHT is characterized by decreased amounts of Vδ2pos T cells showing a relative increase of terminally-differentiated CD27neg/CD45RApos (TEMRA) cells. The enrichment of this latter subset is associated with an increased expression of the senescent marker CD57. The acquisition of CD57 on TEMRA Vδ2pos T cells is also coupled with impairments in cytotoxicity and production of TNF-α and IFN-γ. These features resemble the acquisition of an immune-senescent profile by Vδ2pos T cells from CLM patients that received CHT, a phenomenon that is also associated with the loss of the co-stimulatory marker CD28 and with the induced expression of CD16. The group of CLM patients underwent CHT and older than 60 years old showed higher frequencies of CD57pos and TEMRA Vδ2pos T cells. Similar results were found for tumor infiltrating Vδ2pos T cell subset purified from CLM specimens of patients treated with CHT. The toxicity of CHT regimens also affects the homeostasis of Vδ2pos T cells by inducing higher frequencies of circulating CD57pos TEMRA subset in CLM underwent CHT and younger than 60 years old. Taken together, our data demonstrate that the enrichment of senescent Vδ2pos T cells in CLM patients is not only induced by patients' aging but also by the toxicity of CHT that further accelerates the accumulation of CD57pos TEMRA cells highly dysfunctional in their anti-tumor activities. These results are important to both predict the clinical outcome of CLM and to optimize those protocols of cell cancer immunotherapy employing unconventional Vδ2pos T cells.

NKp46-expressing human gut-resident intraepithelial Vδ1 T cell subpopulation exhibits high antitumor activity against colorectal cancer.

γδ T cells account for a large fraction of human intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs) endowed with potent antitumor activities. However, little is known about their origin, phenotype, and clinical relevance in colorectal cancer (CRC). To determine γδ IEL gut specificity, homing, and functions, γδ T cells were purified from human healthy blood, lymph nodes, liver, skin, and intestine, either disease-free, affected by CRC, or generated from thymic precursors. The constitutive expression of NKp46 specifically identifies a subset of cytotoxic Vδ1 T cells representing the largest fraction of gut-resident IELs. The ontogeny and gut-tropism of NKp46+/Vδ1 IELs depends both on distinctive features of Vδ1 thymic precursors and gut-environmental factors. Either the constitutive presence of NKp46 on tissue-resident Vδ1 intestinal IELs or its induced expression on IL-2/IL-15-activated Vδ1 thymocytes are associated with antitumor functions. Higher frequencies of NKp46+/Vδ1 IELs in tumor-free specimens from CRC patients correlate with a lower risk of developing metastatic III/IV disease stages. Additionally, our in vitro settings reproducing CRC tumor microenvironment inhibited the expansion of NKp46+/Vδ1 cells from activated thymic precursors. These results parallel the very low frequencies of NKp46+/Vδ1 IELs able to infiltrate CRC, thus providing insights to either follow-up cancer progression or to develop adoptive cellular therapies.

On the Way to Become a Natural Killer Cell.

Natural Killer (NK) cells are innate lymphocytes playing pivotal roles in host defense and immune-surveillance. The homeostatic modulation of germ-line encoded/non-rearranged activating and inhibitory NK cell receptors (NKRs) determines the capability of these innate lymphocytes to either spare "self" cells or to kill viral-infected, tumor-transformed and heterologous cell targets. However, despite being discovered more than 40 years ago, several aspects of NK cell biology remain unknown or are still being debated. In particular, our knowledge of human NK cell ontogenesis and differentiation is still in its infancy as the majority of our experimental evidence on this topic mainly comes from findings obtained in vitro or with animal models in vivo. Although both the generation and the maintenance of human NK cells are sustained by hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), the precise site(s) of NK cell development are still poorly defined. Indeed, HSCs and hematopoietic precursors are localized in different anatomical compartments that also change their ontogenic commitments before and after birth as well as in aging. Currently, the main site of NK cell generation and maturation in adulthood is considered the bone marrow, where their interactions with stromal cells, cytokines, growth factors, and other soluble molecules support and drive maturation. Different sequential stages of NK cell development have been identified on the basis of the differential expression of specific markers and NKRs as well as on the acquisition of specific effector-functions. All these phenotypic and functional features are key in inducing and regulating homing, activation and tissue-residency of NK cells in different human anatomic sites, where different homeostatic mechanisms ensure a perfect balance between immune tolerance and immune-surveillance. The present review summarizes our current knowledge on human NK cell ontogenesis and on the related pathways orchestrating a proper maturation, functions, and distributions.

Hepatic Natural Killer Cells: Organ-Specific Sentinels of Liver Immune Homeostasis and Physiopathology.

The liver is considered a preferential tissue for NK cells residency. In humans, almost 50% of all intrahepatic lymphocytes are NK cells that are strongly imprinted in a liver-specific manner and show a broad spectrum of cellular heterogeneity. Hepatic NK (he-NK) cells play key roles in tuning liver immune response in both physiological and pathological conditions. Therefore, there is a pressing need to comprehensively characterize human he-NK cells to better understand the related mechanisms regulating their effector-functions within the dynamic balance between immune-tolerance and immune-surveillance. This is of particular relevance in the liver that is the only solid organ whose parenchyma is constantly challenged on daily basis by millions of foreign antigens drained from the gut. Therefore, the present review summarizes our current knowledge on he-NK cells in the light of the latest discoveries in the field of NK cell biology and clinical relevance.

Disrupted apolipoprotein L1-miR193a axis dedifferentiates podocytes through autophagy blockade in an APOL1 risk milieu.

We hypothesized that a functional apolipoprotein LI (APOL1)-miR193a axis (inverse relationship) preserves, but disruption alters, the podocyte molecular phenotype through the modulation of autophagy flux. Podocyte-expressing APOL1G0 (G0-podocytes) showed downregulation but podocyte-expressing APOL1G1 (G1-podocytes) and APOL1G2 (G2-podocytes) displayed enhanced miR193a expression. G0-, G1-, and G2-podocytes showed enhanced expression of light chain (LC) 3-II and beclin-1, but a disparate expression of p62 (low in wild-type but high in risk alleles). G0-podocytes showed enhanced, whereas G1- and G2-podocytes displayed decreased, phosphorylation of Unc-51-like autophagy-activating kinase (ULK)1 and class III phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3KC3). Podocytes overexpressing miR193a (miR193a-podocytes), G1, and G2 showed decreased transcription of PIK3R3 (PI3KC3's regulatory unit). Since 3-methyladenine (3-MA) enhanced miR193a expression but inhibited PIK3R3 transcription, it appears that 3-MA inhibits autophagy and induces podocyte dedifferentiation via miR193a generation. miR193a-, G1-, and G2-podocytes also showed decreased phosphorylation of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) that could repress lysosome reformation. G1- and G2-podocytes showed enhanced expression of run domain beclin-1-interacting and cysteine-rich domain-containing protein (Rubicon); however, its silencing prevented their dedifferentiation. Docking, protein-protein interaction, and immunoprecipitation studies with antiautophagy-related gene (ATG)14L, anti-UV radiation resistance-associated gene (UVRAG), or Rubicon antibodies suggested the formation of ATG14L complex I and UVRAG complex II in G0-podocytes and the formation of Rubicon complex III in G1- and G2-podocytes. These findings suggest that the APOL1 risk alleles favor podocyte dedifferentiation through blockade of multiple autophagy pathways.

NK cells to cure cancer.

Natural Killer (NK) cells are innate lymphocytes able to mediate immune-surveillance and clearance of viral infected and tumor-transformed cells. Growing experimental and clinical evidence highlighted a dual role of NK cells either in the control of cancer development/progression or in promoting the onset of immune-suppressant tumor microenvironments. Indeed, several mechanisms of NK cell-mediated tumor escape have been described and these includes cancer-induced aberrant expression of activating and inhibitory receptors (i.e. NK cell immune checkpoints), impairments of NK cell migration to tumor sites and altered NK cell effector-functions. These phenomena highly contribute to tumor progression and metastasis formation. In this review, we discuss the latest insights on those NK cell receptors and related molecules that are currently being implemented in clinics either as possible prognostic factors or therapeutic targets to unleash NK cell anti-tumor effector-functions in vivo. Moreover, we address here the major recent advances in regard to the genetic modification and ex vivo expansion of anti-tumor specific NK cells used in innovative adoptive cellular transfer approaches.