NKG2D is required for NK cell activation and function in response to E1-deleted adenovirus

Despite high transduction efficiency in vivo, the application of recombinant E1-deleted adenoviral vectors for in vivo gene therapy has been limited by the attendant innate and adaptive immune responses to adenoviral vectors. NK cells have been shown to play an important role in innate immune elimination of adenoviral vectors in vivo. However, the mechanisms underlying NK cell activation and function in response to adenoviral vectors remain largely undefined. In this study, we showed that NK cell activation upon adenoviral infection was dependent on accessory cells such as dendritic cells and macrophages and that cell contact-dependent signals from the accessory cells are necessary for NK cell activation. We further demonstrated that ligands of the NK activating receptor NKG2D were upregulated in accessory cells upon adenoviral infection and that blockade of NKG2D inhibited NK cell activation upon adenoviral infection, leading to a delay in adenoviral clearance in vivo. In addition, NKG2D was required for NK cell-mediated cytolysis on adenovirus-infected targets. Taken together, these results suggest that efficient NK cell activation and function in response to adenoviral infection is critically dependent on the NKG2D pathway, which understanding may assist in the design of effective strategies to improve the outcome of adenovirus-mediated gene therapy.