TIM-3 Expression Is Downregulated on Human NK Cells in Response to Cancer Targets in Synergy with Activation.

Cancers (Basel)

Department of Industrial and Physical Pharmacy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.

Published: August 2020

Among natural killer (NK) cell receptors, the T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin-containing domain (TIM-3) has been associated with both inhibitory and activating functions, depending on context and activation pathway. Ex vivo and in vitro, expression of TIM-3 is inducible and depends on activation stimulus. Here, we report that TIM-3 expression can be downregulated on NK cells under specific conditions. When NK cells are exposed to cancer targets, they synergize with stimulation conditions to induce a substantial decrease in TIM-3 expression on their surface. We found that such downregulation occurs following prior NK activation. Downregulated TIM-3 expression correlated to lower cytotoxicity and lower interferon gamma (IFN-γ) expression, fueling the notion that TIM-3 might function as a benchmark for human NK cell dysfunction.

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http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7565804PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/cancers12092417DOI Listing

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