Decoding NK Cell Licensing Through Programmable Nanoscale Clustering and Spatial Mapping

Objective

Natural killer (NK) cells are innate lymphocytes that kill tumor and virus-infected cells without prior sensitization, but clinical translation is hampered by limited mechanistic insight into how NKs attain durable functional competence or “licensing”. NK_LIC2CLUSTER_SR1 will determine whether nanoscale clustering geometry of inhibitory receptors encodes licensing — a mechanistic insight that could enable engineering NK cells with predictable, MHC-independent, potency. We will test whether ligand-independent clustering of the inhibitory receptor Ly49A recruits ITIM-associated phosphatases (e.g., SHP-1) and induces a licensing-like state in vivo, and whether quantitative nanoscale features (e.g. cluster size, density) form reproducible “licensing signatures” that predict NK competence across MHC haplotypes. AIM 1 (causation): CRISPR knock-in of a chemically inducible Ly49A fusion at the Ncr1 locus in primary murine NKs will allow rapid, reversible clustering with a dimeriser. Functional (IFN-γ, CD107a, cytotoxicity, persistence, homing, tumor clearance) and mechanistic (ITIM phosphorylation, SHP-1 recruitment) readouts will be assessed ex vivo and after adoptive transfer into MHC-defined hosts. AIM 2 (prediction & translation): Super-resolution imaging (SLML) and single-molecule mapping will quantify Ly49A and phospho-SHP-1 architectures across haplotypes. Spatial metrics will be integrated with functional data to derive reproducible licensing signatures and build predictive functional models. The fellowship provides structured training and open-science outputs to accelerate fellow independence and maximise research impact. Leveraging worldwide expertise from the host labs in NK immunology, synthetic receptor engineering, advanced imaging, and computational modelling, the project will establish receptor topology as a mechanistic code for NK licensing, define nanoscale “licensing signatures,” and enable translational MHC-unrestricted immunotherapies.