Although natural killer (NK) cells play crucial roles in the immune response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) infection, systematic investigations delineating the immune characteristics of NK cells across the tuberculosis (TB) disease spectrum are scarce.
This multiomics study employed transcriptomic, proteomic, and RT-qPCR analyses to characterize and validate CD56+ NK cells from 165 participants stratified by TB infection status (active TB (ATB), latent TB infection (LTBI), and healthy control (HC)). Peripheral blood samples from an independent cohort of 85 participants were subjected to flow cytometry analysis and validation.
Enrichment analyses of transcriptomic and proteomic data revealed that the NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity and apoptosis pathways were enriched in LTBI and ATB groups, whereas chemotaxis-related pathway enrichment was specific to ATB. Further analysis revealed that the expression of genes mediating the NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity signaling pathway through perforin-granzyme was upregulated in the LTBI state, whereas that of those associated with death receptors was elevated in ATB, potentially indicating a transformation of NK cell function in different TB infection states. Moreover, analysis of ATB-specific chemotaxis genes suggested that the migration of NK cells was likely to occur in the ATB state. Flow cytometry revealed an increased frequency of CD56dim NK cells and a decreased frequency of CD56bright NK cells in individuals with LTBI versus that in HCs in an independent cohort. In addition, RT-qPCR validation identified a four-biomarker combination (SLC7A5, PDE4D, CXCR4, and SOCS3) distinguishing ATB from HCs, a three-biomarker combination (SLC7A5, PER1, and PDE4D) differentiating LTBI from HC, and a three-biomarker combination (SOCS3, GZMK, and HIST1H3B) differentiating ATB from LTBI. These findings elucidate the immune clearance mechanism of NK cells in TB and provide clinically actionable biomarkers for infection staging, advancing our understanding of TB immunopathogenesis.
Copyright © 2025 Zhang, Liu, Hu, Wu, Zheng, Xin, Du, Yang, Lv, Wu, Gao, Liu, Sun, Zhang and Jin.

The close association between nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection highlights the potential of therapeutic vaccination against viral antigens as an attractive immunotherapy for treating EBV+ NPC. Maximizing vaccine efficacy often requires selecting optimal T cell epitopes and incorporating co-treatment strategies. Here, we analyzed genomic mutations of 283 cancer-associated EBV strains and predicted epitopes with broad human leukocyte antigen (HLA) coverage from high-frequency nonsynonymous mutations. A polyepitope mRNA vaccine constructed from the predicted epitopes elicited antigen-specific T cell responses but showed suboptimal efficacy in tumor control in a PBMC-humanized mouse EBV+ NPC model. To enhance treatment efficacy, we developed an optimized system for expanding human natural killer (NK) cells with high purity and cytotoxicity as a co-treatment modality. Combined administration of mRNA vaccine and NK cells synergistically improved therapeutic efficacy by durably suppressing or eradicating NPC tumors in humanized mice. The concurrent treatment could improve the infiltration of both human T cells and NK cells into the tumor microenvironment and boost their effector functions. Our study suggests the combined therapeutic vaccination and NK cell therapy as a potential strategy for treating EBV+ NPC.
© 2025 The Author(s).

This phase 1b/2 clinical trial (NCT04775680) evaluated the safety, efficacy, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of ADG106, a ligand-blocking agonistic antibody targeting CD137 (4-1BB), combined with toripalimab in patients with advanced malignancies. ADG106 0.75-3 mg/kg plus toripalimab 240 mg were administered every 3 weeks. One dose-limiting toxicity occurred in 1 subject at 1.5 mg/kg and 2 in another subject at 3 mg/kg. Grade ≥ 3 treatment related adverse events occurred in 4/25 patients (16%). The overall disease control rate was 29.2% (7/24), including 1 partial response (PR) patient with a duration of response and a progression-free survival of 17.6 and 24.5 months. Circulating biomarkers suggested increased soluble CD137, CD3-CD16+CD56+ natural killer (NK) cells, interferon γ (IFN-γ), TNFα, and IL-6 after therapy. Elevated baseline memory T cells and PD-L1, activation of immune-related pathways, along with enhanced T cell proliferation and increased IFN-γ following treatment were observed in the PR patient. ADG106 in combination with toripalimab demonstrated a manageable safety profile but no efficacy conclusions could be drawn.
© 2025 Published by Elsevier Inc.

Mucosal antigen-specific T cells are pivotal for pathogen clearance and immune modulation in respiratory infections. Dysregulated T cell responses exacerbate coronavirus disease 2019 severity, marked by cytokine storms and respiratory failure. Despite extensive description in peripheral blood, the characteristics of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-specific T cells in the lungs remain elusive. Here we conducted integrated single-cell profiling of SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells in 122 bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and 280 blood samples from 159 patients, including 27 paired BALF and blood samples from 24 patients. SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells were robustly elicited in BALF irrespective of prior vaccination, correlating with diminished viral loads, lessened systemic inflammation and improved respiratory function. SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells in BALF exhibited profound activation, along with proliferative and multi-cytokine-producing capabilities and a glycolysis-driven metabolic signature, which were distinct from those observed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. After viral clearance, these specific T cells maintained a polyfunctional tissue-resident memory phenotype, highlighting their critical roles in infection control and long-term protection.
© 2025. The Author(s).

Despite most acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients entering remission following chemotherapy, outcomes remain poor due to surviving leukemic cells that contribute to relapse. The nature of these enduring cells is poorly understood. Here, through temporal single-cell transcriptomic characterization of AML hierarchical regeneration in response to chemotherapy, we reveal a cell population: AML regeneration enriched cells (RECs). RECs are defined by CD74/CD68 expression, and although derived from leukemic stem cells (LSCs), are devoid of stem/progenitor capacity. Based on REC in situ proximity to CD34-expressing cells identified using spatial transcriptomics on AML patient bone marrow samples, RECs demonstrate the ability to augment or reduce leukemic regeneration in vivo based on transfusion or depletion, respectively. Furthermore, RECs are prognostic for patient survival as well as predictive of treatment failure in AML cohorts. Our study reveals RECs as a previously unknown functional catalyst of LSC-driven regeneration contributing to the non-canonical framework of AML regeneration.
Crown Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.