Metabolic regulation of natural killer functions

Changes in the body metabolism affect the metabolic and functional activity of cells of the immune system. Pregnancy is characterized by changes in hormone production, basal metabolism, immunoreactivity, increase of fat mass. During pregnancy, NK cells acquire a regulatory phenotype, migrate to the uterus and become the dominant subpopulation of lymphocytes in uterus (decidual NK), which is necessary to maintain the invasive syncytiotrophoblast growth. This transformation into decidual NK cells is accompanied by increased glucose consumption and a predominant transition from oxidative phosphorylation to glycolysis. The key molecules involved in controlling the implementation of metabolic programs of NK cells are the target for rapamycin in mammalian cells (mTOR) and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). The modularization of mTOR and AMPK activity by various agents (hormones, cytokines) during pregnancy determines the metabolic reprogramming of the NK cell phenotype and functions. The study of the metabolic regulation of the NK functional activity is necessary to increase the effectiveness of NK cell therapy.