Natural Killer Cell Development and Maturation Revisited: Possible Implications of a Novel Distinct Lin-CD34+DNAM-1brightCXCR4+Cell Progenitor.
Since the first description of natural killer (NK) cells, the view on their role in innate immunity has evolved considerably. In addition to first-line defense against transformed and pathogen-infected autologous cells, NK cells contribute to modulate adaptive immune responses and in some cases acquire specialized functions, including exhausted, adaptive, and decidual NK cells. NK cells derive from CD34+progenitors,in vivoandin vitro; however, it is unclear whether the high phenotype diversityin vivomay be generated from these precursors alone. The recent characterization of a novel CD34+DNAM-1brightCXCR4+precursor giving rise to apparently licensed and functional maturing NK cells may suggest the possibility for a higher than expected common lymphocyte precursor diversity and a consequently higher peripheral NK cell phenotype variability. Here, we review the evidences on NK cell central and peripheral development from CD34+precursors and propose a possible updated reading frame based on the characterization of CD34+DNAM-1brightCXCR4+cell progenies, which favors the possibility of concurrent NK cell maturation from different CD34+precursors.
Department of Experimental Medicine (DIMES), University of Genova, Genova, Italy; Center of Excellence for Biomedical Research (CEBR), University of Genova, Genova, Italy.
Federica
F
Bozzano
Istituto Giannina Gaslini , Genova , Italy.
Francesco
F
Marras
Center of Excellence for Biomedical Research (CEBR), University of Genova, Genova, Italy; Clinica Malattie Infettive, IRCCS AOU San Martino-IST Genova, Istituto Nazionale per la Ricerca sul Cancro, Genova, Italy; Department of Health Sciences, DISSAL, University of Genova, Genova, Italy.
Andrea
A
De Maria
CD34; DNAM-1; NK cell development; common lymphoid progenitors; natural killer