Pre-Conference Bootcamp

NK Cell Biology Bootcamp

Tuesday, March 23

10.30 - 3.00 EDT | 07.30 - 12.00 PDT

1:00 pm Understanding the Biology and Molecular Program NK Cell Memory

  • Todd Fehniger Associate Professor, Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis

Synopsis

• Outline the critical understanding of memory and memory-like NK cells and their attributes • Review distinct types of NK cell memory and memory-like responses • Present the current understanding of the molecular program of memory-like NK cells • Relate recent pre-clinical work supporting memory-like NK cells in solid tumors

1:30 pm Single-Cell Transcriptomics of Human NK Cells

Synopsis

• Single-cell transcriptome reveals significant heterogeneity within the bone marrow-derived human NK cells, grouped into
six major unique subsets
• The functionally mature CD57+ NK cells are marked with high expression of CX3CR1, HAVCR2 (TIM 3), and ZEB2, demonstrating unique transcriptional features. Adaptive (‘memory’) NK cells express a unique transcriptomic profile along with the high expression of NKG2C
• Explain how the transcriptomic profiles NK clusters, pseudotime trajectory of developmental progression, and the identification of major regulons offer exceptional new insights essential for NK cell based immunotherapies

2:00 pm Refreshment Break

Synopsis

Time to message those you would like to connect with using the online chat function, or simply take some time away from the screen to rest your eyes!

2:30 pm Genetic Manipulation of Chemotactic Receptors as a Novel Strategy to Modulate the Homing of Adoptively Transferred Ex Vivo Expanded NK Cells

  • Emily Levy Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Laboratory of Transplantation Immunotherapy, NHLBI, NIH
  • Richard Childs Rear Admiral, Commissioned Corps Unites States Public Health Service, NHLBI , NIH

Synopsis

• Ex vivo expansion of NK cells with feeder cells induces transcriptional shifts in thousands of protein coding genes
• Expanded NK cells have significant alterations in chemokine receptors (CRs) including downregulation of CXCR4 and upregulation of CCR5 and other CRs which may lead to preferential NK cell trafficking to the liver rather than the bone marrow
• Genetic modification of chemotactic receptors through transfection with CXCR4 mRNA and/or CRISPR/Cas-9 disruption of CCR5 can be used to redirect the cellular homing of adoptively infused NK cells in vivo to their desired tissue target

3:00 pm NK Cell Activation in the Tumor Microenvironment

Synopsis

• Overview of the NK cell – cancer immunity cycle
• Highlight emerging strategies to therapeutically modulate NK cell activity in cancer
• Drugging cancer cells to convert ‘cold’ tumours into ‘hot’ tumours

3:30 pm Close of Bootcamp