Summary of research

The group study the molecular and cellular basis for NK cell differentiation and repertoire formation in health and disease. A key focus is to gain insights into how killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) influence the function of human NK cells. KIR are HLA class I binding receptors with important functions in reproduction, immunity to infections, and in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) for malignant disorders. We examine the intrinsic and extrinic factors that shape human KIR repertoires during allogeneic HSCT and the consequences for control of viral reactivation and leukemia relapse. In more translational efforts we have established a platform for NK cell-based immunotherapy for patients with refractory or relapsing malignancies.