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Updated: Aug 30, 2026

Generation of Natural Killer Cells from Human Expanded Potential Stem Cells
Published on: January 13, 2023
Human decidual natural killer cells are a unique NK cell subset with immunomodulatory potential
Louise A Koopman1, Hernan D Kopcow, Basya Rybalov
1Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA. louise_koopman@biogen.com
Abstract:
Natural killer cells constitute 50-90% of lymphocytes in human uterine decidua in early pregnancy. Here, CD56(bright) uterine decidual NK (dNK) cells were compared with the CD56(bright) and CD56(dim) peripheral NK cell subsets by microarray analysis, with verification of results by flow cytometry and RT-PCR. Among the approximately 10,000 genes studied, 278 genes showed at least a threefold change with P < or = 0.001 when comparing the dNK and peripheral NK cell subsets, most displaying increased expression in dNK cells. The largest number of these encoded surface proteins, including the unusual lectinlike receptors NKG2E and Ly-49L, several killer cell Ig-like receptors, the integrin subunits alpha(D), alpha(X), beta1, and beta5, and multiple tetraspanins (CD9, CD151, CD53, CD63, and TSPAN-5). Additionally, two secreted proteins, galectin-1 and progestagen-associated protein 14, known to have immunomodulatory functions, were selectively expressed in dNK cells.
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