Uterine Natural Killer Cells
Natural killer (NK) cells are members of a rapidly expanding family of innate lymphoid cells (ILCs). While most previously studied NK cells were derived from the mouse spleen and circulate in the blood, recently others and we found tissue-resident NK (trNK) cells in many tissues that resemble group...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2019-05-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Immunology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fimmu.2019.00960/full |
| _version_ | 1818031019119345664 |
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| author | Dorothy K. Sojka Liping Yang Wayne M. Yokoyama |
| author_facet | Dorothy K. Sojka Liping Yang Wayne M. Yokoyama |
| author_sort | Dorothy K. Sojka |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Natural killer (NK) cells are members of a rapidly expanding family of innate lymphoid cells (ILCs). While most previously studied NK cells were derived from the mouse spleen and circulate in the blood, recently others and we found tissue-resident NK (trNK) cells in many tissues that resemble group 1 ILCs (ILC1s). During pregnancy, NK cells are the most abundant lymphocytes in the uterus at the maternal-fetal interface and are involved in placental vascular remodeling. Prior studies suggested that these uterine NK (uNK) cells are mostly derived from circulating NK cells. However, the murine virgin uterus contains mostly trNK cells and it has been challenging to determine their contribution to uNK cells in pregnancy as well as other potential function(s) of uNK cells due to the dynamic microenvironment in the pregnant uterus. This review focuses on the origins and functions of the heterogeneous populations of uNK cells during the course of murine pregnancy. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T05:44:49Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d0ac1b24f3a14c728d44aed545809f0b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-3224 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T05:44:49Z |
| publishDate | 2019-05-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Immunology |
| spelling | doaj.art-d0ac1b24f3a14c728d44aed545809f0b2022-12-22T02:00:12ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Immunology1664-32242019-05-011010.3389/fimmu.2019.00960446686Uterine Natural Killer CellsDorothy K. SojkaLiping YangWayne M. YokoyamaNatural killer (NK) cells are members of a rapidly expanding family of innate lymphoid cells (ILCs). While most previously studied NK cells were derived from the mouse spleen and circulate in the blood, recently others and we found tissue-resident NK (trNK) cells in many tissues that resemble group 1 ILCs (ILC1s). During pregnancy, NK cells are the most abundant lymphocytes in the uterus at the maternal-fetal interface and are involved in placental vascular remodeling. Prior studies suggested that these uterine NK (uNK) cells are mostly derived from circulating NK cells. However, the murine virgin uterus contains mostly trNK cells and it has been challenging to determine their contribution to uNK cells in pregnancy as well as other potential function(s) of uNK cells due to the dynamic microenvironment in the pregnant uterus. This review focuses on the origins and functions of the heterogeneous populations of uNK cells during the course of murine pregnancy.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fimmu.2019.00960/fulluterine natural killer cellspregnancytissue-resident natural killer cellsplacentamaternal-fetal interfaceuterine innate lymphoid cells |
| spellingShingle | Dorothy K. Sojka Liping Yang Wayne M. Yokoyama Uterine Natural Killer Cells Frontiers in Immunology uterine natural killer cells pregnancy tissue-resident natural killer cells placenta maternal-fetal interface uterine innate lymphoid cells |
| title | Uterine Natural Killer Cells |
| title_full | Uterine Natural Killer Cells |
| title_fullStr | Uterine Natural Killer Cells |
| title_full_unstemmed | Uterine Natural Killer Cells |
| title_short | Uterine Natural Killer Cells |
| title_sort | uterine natural killer cells |
| topic | uterine natural killer cells pregnancy tissue-resident natural killer cells placenta maternal-fetal interface uterine innate lymphoid cells |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fimmu.2019.00960/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT dorothyksojka uterinenaturalkillercells AT lipingyang uterinenaturalkillercells AT waynemyokoyama uterinenaturalkillercells |