Transcriptomic profiles of NK-cell populations in Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC)

Overview

Versiti, Milwaukee, WI Natural Killer (NK) cells -both circulating (cNK) and liver resident (lr-NK) - are a major component of innate host defense against HCC. NK cell dysfunction is associated with the development and progression of HCC. Through single cell RNA sequencing analysis, we aimed to analyze the gene expression profiles (GEP) of NK cell populations in four patients (pts) with HCC based on their location in the liver. We isolated and compared NK cell transcriptomes among samples from specific sites in the liver: tumor core - TC, tumor periphery -TP , and adjacent normal liver - NL. Seven NK cell clusters were identified through analysis, reflecting differences in phenotype and maturity. The GEP of NK cells in TC and TP were similar, but distinct compared to those from NL. NK cells in TC and TP were predominantly lr-NK cells and mature cNK cells compared to NL, which was composed of lr-NK cells and adaptive-like NK cells. Differential expression of genes regulating key immunomodulatory pathways were noted between lr-NK cells in TC vs. NL and TP vs. NL. The functional significance of differences in GEP noted between NK cells in TC and TP compared to NL needs further exploration to unlock their therapeutic potential.

Competition history

• JSHS 2023 Category not listed

Resources

• National JSHS abstract book ↗

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