1b:I[76749,["/_next/static/chunks/0383663887945ae7.js","/_next/static/chunks/df7e62179e4ae938.js","/_next/static/chunks/acf71181277ecf85.js","/_next/static/chunks/63561dcd578bd4db.js","/_next/static/chunks/5bf36002c846d2d8.js","/_next/static/chunks/b24fef6e58c9b2f5.js","/_next/static/chunks/ea1fda2cc52e974e.js"],"default"] 1c:I[3486,["/_next/static/chunks/0383663887945ae7.js","/_next/static/chunks/df7e62179e4ae938.js","/_next/static/chunks/acf71181277ecf85.js","/_next/static/chunks/63561dcd578bd4db.js","/_next/static/chunks/5bf36002c846d2d8.js","/_next/static/chunks/b24fef6e58c9b2f5.js","/_next/static/chunks/ea1fda2cc52e974e.js"],"default"] 1d:I[41892,["/_next/static/chunks/0383663887945ae7.js","/_next/static/chunks/df7e62179e4ae938.js","/_next/static/chunks/acf71181277ecf85.js","/_next/static/chunks/63561dcd578bd4db.js","/_next/static/chunks/5bf36002c846d2d8.js","/_next/static/chunks/b24fef6e58c9b2f5.js","/_next/static/chunks/ea1fda2cc52e974e.js"],"default"] 1e:I[17707,["/_next/static/chunks/0383663887945ae7.js","/_next/static/chunks/df7e62179e4ae938.js","/_next/static/chunks/acf71181277ecf85.js","/_next/static/chunks/63561dcd578bd4db.js","/_next/static/chunks/5bf36002c846d2d8.js","/_next/static/chunks/b24fef6e58c9b2f5.js","/_next/static/chunks/ea1fda2cc52e974e.js"],"default"] 1f:I[66528,["/_next/static/chunks/0383663887945ae7.js","/_next/static/chunks/df7e62179e4ae938.js","/_next/static/chunks/acf71181277ecf85.js","/_next/static/chunks/63561dcd578bd4db.js","/_next/static/chunks/5bf36002c846d2d8.js","/_next/static/chunks/b24fef6e58c9b2f5.js","/_next/static/chunks/ea1fda2cc52e974e.js"],"default"] 20:I[63176,["/_next/static/chunks/0383663887945ae7.js","/_next/static/chunks/df7e62179e4ae938.js","/_next/static/chunks/acf71181277ecf85.js","/_next/static/chunks/63561dcd578bd4db.js","/_next/static/chunks/5bf36002c846d2d8.js","/_next/static/chunks/b24fef6e58c9b2f5.js","/_next/static/chunks/ea1fda2cc52e974e.js"],"default"] 21:I[87099,["/_next/static/chunks/0383663887945ae7.js","/_next/static/chunks/df7e62179e4ae938.js","/_next/static/chunks/acf71181277ecf85.js","/_next/static/chunks/63561dcd578bd4db.js","/_next/static/chunks/5bf36002c846d2d8.js","/_next/static/chunks/b24fef6e58c9b2f5.js","/_next/static/chunks/ea1fda2cc52e974e.js"],"default"] 22:I[26200,["/_next/static/chunks/0383663887945ae7.js","/_next/static/chunks/df7e62179e4ae938.js","/_next/static/chunks/acf71181277ecf85.js","/_next/static/chunks/63561dcd578bd4db.js","/_next/static/chunks/5bf36002c846d2d8.js","/_next/static/chunks/b24fef6e58c9b2f5.js","/_next/static/chunks/ea1fda2cc52e974e.js"],"Group"] 23:I[23365,["/_next/static/chunks/0383663887945ae7.js","/_next/static/chunks/df7e62179e4ae938.js","/_next/static/chunks/acf71181277ecf85.js","/_next/static/chunks/63561dcd578bd4db.js","/_next/static/chunks/5bf36002c846d2d8.js","/_next/static/chunks/b24fef6e58c9b2f5.js","/_next/static/chunks/ea1fda2cc52e974e.js"],"default"] 24:T44a,Exhaustion of cytotoxic effector natural killer (NK) and CD8⁺ T cells have important functions in the establishment of persistent viral infections, but how exhaustion is induced during chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection remains poorly defined. Here we show, using the humanized C/O^Tg mice permissive for persistent HCV infection, that NK and CD8⁺ T cells become sequentially exhausted shortly after their transient hepatic infiltration and activation in acute HCV infection. HCV infection upregulates Qa-1 expression in hepatocytes, which ligates NKG2A to induce NK cell exhaustion. Antibodies targeting NKG2A or Qa-1 prevents NK exhaustion and promotes NK-dependent HCV clearance. Moreover, reactivated NK cells provide sufficient IFN-γ that helps rejuvenate polyclonal HCV CD8⁺ T cell response and clearance of HCV. Our data thus show that NKG2A serves as a critical checkpoint for HCV-induced NK exhaustion, and that NKG2A blockade sequentially boosts interdependent NK and CD8⁺ T cell functions to prevent persistent HCV infection.

Shu-ran Li

Publications