"Hobbit" turns immune cells into killers

A special feature of these cells is that they do not need to be reminded in the lymphatic organs, like many other immune cells, and then migrate to the place of activity

ILC1 single cell mRNA profile

In tissues, ILCs can be produced by immature precursor cells and mature into functioning immune cells

"We want to understand how immature ILCs become effector cells, for example, to kill tumor cells or fight infections with the help of cytokines," Professor Georg Gasteiger, Chairman and Head of the Max Planck Research Group of the JMU Institute of Systemic Immunology Explained

To this end, Würzburg researchers studied the ILC1 group that plays a role in virus infection and tumor defense

Task division: supply cells, helper cells and killer cells

Based on these "molecular fingerprints", the researchers realized that there are specialized cells in ILC1 to share their tasks: "We found that cells can multiply rapidly to provide supplements for ILCs

For example, Gasteiger's research team found that helper cells produce large amounts of messenger substances (cytokines) that play a role in the early stages of infection

"Until now, people have always thought that these cells are different types of ILCs," Christin Friedrich explained

Can killing ILCs be therapeutically useful?

"However, it is interesting that ILCs only develop into killer cells in some tissues, although our data show that they have the potential to do so in all tissues," Gasteiger explained

"We have preliminary evidence that this development is actively inhibited in some tissues, possibly to avoid tissue damage or inflammation

Transcription factor habits drive specialization

Christin Friedrich added: "Our work shows how the transcription factor hobit ( single-cell mRNA Seq data, hobit ) drives the specialization to mature effector cells

DOI 10.