Memory of Natural Killer Cells: A New Chance against Mycobacterium tuberculosis?
Natural killer (NK) cells are lymphocytes of the innate immune system, which play an important role in the initial defense against a wide variety of pathogens, including viruses and intracellular bacteria. NK cells produce cytokines that enhance immune responses directed toward pathogens and also ex...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2017-08-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Immunology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fimmu.2017.00967/full |
| _version_ | 1818005656014159872 |
|---|---|
| author | José Alberto Choreño Parra José Alberto Choreño Parra Nayeli Martínez Zúñiga Luis Antonio Jiménez Zamudio Luis Armando Jiménez Álvarez Citlaltepetl Salinas Lara Joaquín Zúñiga |
| author_facet | José Alberto Choreño Parra José Alberto Choreño Parra Nayeli Martínez Zúñiga Luis Antonio Jiménez Zamudio Luis Armando Jiménez Álvarez Citlaltepetl Salinas Lara Joaquín Zúñiga |
| author_sort | José Alberto Choreño Parra |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Natural killer (NK) cells are lymphocytes of the innate immune system, which play an important role in the initial defense against a wide variety of pathogens, including viruses and intracellular bacteria. NK cells produce cytokines that enhance immune responses directed toward pathogens and also exert cytotoxic activity against infected cells, thereby eliminating the reservoir of infection. Their role in defense against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) has been recently studied, and there is increasing evidence that highlight the importance of NK cell function during pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB), especially in the absence of optimal T-cell responses. Additionally, in the last years, it has been observed that NK cells mediate secondary responses against antigens to which they were previously exposed, an ability classically attributed to lymphocytes of the adaptive branch of immunity. This phenomenon, called “innate memory,” could have important implications in the efforts to develop therapies and vaccines to improve the initial phases of immune reactions against different microorganisms, especially those to which there is not yet available vaccines to prevent infection, as is the case for tuberculosis. Therefore, the possibility of inducing memory-like NK cells ready to act prior to contact with Mtb or during the earliest stages of infection becomes quite interesting. However, our understanding of the mechanisms of innate memory remains incomplete. Here, we review recent literature about the mechanisms involved in the formation and maintenance of NK cell memory and the role of these cells in the immune response during tuberculosis. Finally, we discuss if the current evidence is sufficient to substantiate that NK cells exert more rapid and robust secondary responses after consecutive encounters with Mtb. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-14T04:47:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-faab8658c45846c584f8de6b310dfe5f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-3224 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-14T04:47:55Z |
| publishDate | 2017-08-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Immunology |
| spelling | doaj.art-faab8658c45846c584f8de6b310dfe5f2022-12-22T02:11:25ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Immunology1664-32242017-08-01810.3389/fimmu.2017.00967283935Memory of Natural Killer Cells: A New Chance against Mycobacterium tuberculosis?José Alberto Choreño Parra0José Alberto Choreño Parra1Nayeli Martínez Zúñiga2Luis Antonio Jiménez Zamudio3Luis Armando Jiménez Álvarez4Citlaltepetl Salinas Lara5Joaquín Zúñiga6Laboratory of Clinical Immunology I, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City, MexicoLaboratory of Immunobiology and Genetics, Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias “Ismael Cosío Villegas, Mexico City, MexicoBrain Bank, Department of National Laboratories of Experimental Services, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados (CINVESTAV), Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City, MexicoLaboratory of Clinical Immunology I, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City, MexicoLaboratory of Immunobiology and Genetics, Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias “Ismael Cosío Villegas, Mexico City, MexicoDepartment of Pathology, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía “Manuel Velasco Suárez”, Mexico City, MexicoLaboratory of Immunobiology and Genetics, Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias “Ismael Cosío Villegas, Mexico City, MexicoNatural killer (NK) cells are lymphocytes of the innate immune system, which play an important role in the initial defense against a wide variety of pathogens, including viruses and intracellular bacteria. NK cells produce cytokines that enhance immune responses directed toward pathogens and also exert cytotoxic activity against infected cells, thereby eliminating the reservoir of infection. Their role in defense against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) has been recently studied, and there is increasing evidence that highlight the importance of NK cell function during pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB), especially in the absence of optimal T-cell responses. Additionally, in the last years, it has been observed that NK cells mediate secondary responses against antigens to which they were previously exposed, an ability classically attributed to lymphocytes of the adaptive branch of immunity. This phenomenon, called “innate memory,” could have important implications in the efforts to develop therapies and vaccines to improve the initial phases of immune reactions against different microorganisms, especially those to which there is not yet available vaccines to prevent infection, as is the case for tuberculosis. Therefore, the possibility of inducing memory-like NK cells ready to act prior to contact with Mtb or during the earliest stages of infection becomes quite interesting. However, our understanding of the mechanisms of innate memory remains incomplete. Here, we review recent literature about the mechanisms involved in the formation and maintenance of NK cell memory and the role of these cells in the immune response during tuberculosis. Finally, we discuss if the current evidence is sufficient to substantiate that NK cells exert more rapid and robust secondary responses after consecutive encounters with Mtb.http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fimmu.2017.00967/fullnatural killer cellsinnate memorymemory-like natural killer cellsMycobacterium tuberculosisinnate immunity |
| spellingShingle | José Alberto Choreño Parra José Alberto Choreño Parra Nayeli Martínez Zúñiga Luis Antonio Jiménez Zamudio Luis Armando Jiménez Álvarez Citlaltepetl Salinas Lara Joaquín Zúñiga Memory of Natural Killer Cells: A New Chance against Mycobacterium tuberculosis? Frontiers in Immunology natural killer cells innate memory memory-like natural killer cells Mycobacterium tuberculosis innate immunity |
| title | Memory of Natural Killer Cells: A New Chance against Mycobacterium tuberculosis? |
| title_full | Memory of Natural Killer Cells: A New Chance against Mycobacterium tuberculosis? |
| title_fullStr | Memory of Natural Killer Cells: A New Chance against Mycobacterium tuberculosis? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Memory of Natural Killer Cells: A New Chance against Mycobacterium tuberculosis? |
| title_short | Memory of Natural Killer Cells: A New Chance against Mycobacterium tuberculosis? |
| title_sort | memory of natural killer cells a new chance against mycobacterium tuberculosis |
| topic | natural killer cells innate memory memory-like natural killer cells Mycobacterium tuberculosis innate immunity |
| url | http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fimmu.2017.00967/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT josealbertochorenoparra memoryofnaturalkillercellsanewchanceagainstmycobacteriumtuberculosis AT josealbertochorenoparra memoryofnaturalkillercellsanewchanceagainstmycobacteriumtuberculosis AT nayelimartinezzuniga memoryofnaturalkillercellsanewchanceagainstmycobacteriumtuberculosis AT luisantoniojimenezzamudio memoryofnaturalkillercellsanewchanceagainstmycobacteriumtuberculosis AT luisarmandojimenezalvarez memoryofnaturalkillercellsanewchanceagainstmycobacteriumtuberculosis AT citlaltepetlsalinaslara memoryofnaturalkillercellsanewchanceagainstmycobacteriumtuberculosis AT joaquinzuniga memoryofnaturalkillercellsanewchanceagainstmycobacteriumtuberculosis |