Phenotypic diversity of human adipose tissue-resident NK cells in obesity

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

• Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
• Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
• Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
• Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
• Emerging · Emerging topic under active research

Abstract (original English)

Natural killer (NK) cells have emerged as key mediators of obesity-related adipose tissue inflammation. However, the phenotype of NK cell subsets residing in human adipose tissue are poorly defined, preventing a detailed understanding of their role in metabolic disorders. In this study, we applied multicolor flow cytometry to characterize CD56 bright and CD56 dim NK cells in blood and adipose tissue depots in individuals with obesity and identified surface proteins enriched on adipose tissue-resident CD56 bright NK cells. Particularly, we found that adipose tissue harbored clusters of tissue-resident CD56 bright NK cells signatured by the expression of CD26, CCR5 and CD63, possibly reflecting an adaptation to the microenvironment. Together, our findings provide broad insights into the identity of NK cells in blood and adipose tissue in relation to obesity.

Evidence level

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

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