{
  "abstract": "Introduction: Adaptive Natural Killer cells are a specialized NK-cell subset with enhanced antibody-dependent effector functions, making them attractive candidates for cancer immunotherapy. Although circulating adaptive NK cells have demonstrated potent antitumor activity, their presence and functional status within the breast tumor microenvironment (TME) remain largely unknown.\n\nMethods: Here, we investigated the infiltration, phenotype, functional properties, and clinical relevance of NKG2C ⁺ NK cells with adaptive features (aNK) in treatment-naïve breast cancer. Using paired peripheral blood, tumor, and adjacent non-tumoral breast tissue samples, together with functional assays and transcriptomic analyses from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), we characterized tumor-infiltrating aNK cells and evaluated their association with clinical outcome.\n\nResults: aNK cells are present within breast tumors while preserving their phenotype and enhanced effector functions. Tumor-infiltrating aNK cells retained robust antibody-dependent degranulation and IFN-γ production. Complementary studies using peripheral blood-derived aNK cells further demonstrated their superior capacity to promote dendritic cell maturation, supporting their immunoregulatory potential. Moreover, we analyzed an adaptive NK-associated transcriptional signature in TCGA breast cancer samples and found that higher signature scores were associated with a longer progression-free interval and an immune microenvironment enriched in specific CD8 ⁺ T-cell populations.\n\nDiscussion: These findings indicate that aNK cells are functionally resilient to the suppressive breast TME, maintaining some specialized functions and immunoregulatory properties after tumor infiltration. Their persistence and association with favorable clinical outcome provide a rationale for further investigating their potential role in antibody-based immunotherapy and as a possible target for therapeutic strategies in BC.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Centro de Investigaciones Oncológicas-Fundación Cáncer (FUCA)",
    "Servicio de Cirugía Oncoginecológica y Mastología, Instituto Alexander Fleming (IAF)",
    "Unidad de Mastología, Hospital Municipal “Profesor Dr. Bernardo Houssay”",
    "Servicio de Anatomía Patológica, del Instituto Alexander Fleming (IAF)",
    "Servicio de Anatomía Patológica, Hospital Municipal “Dr. Bernardo Houssay”",
    "Laboratorio de Evolución, Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires (IEGEBA), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales - Universidad de Buenos Aires (FCEN-UBA)"
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 19,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "María Belén Bordignon"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Ayelén Ivana Pesce Viglietti"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Luciana Sabatini"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Natalia Elizabeth Nuñez"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Mora Amat"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Verónica Fabiano"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Santiago Nelson Sánchez"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Sebastián Aebi"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4
      ],
      "name": "Paola Gabriela Brunacci"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        5
      ],
      "name": "Nicolas Flaibani"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Azul Perazzolo"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Marcelo Triveño Quiroz"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Florencia Cappuccio"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4
      ],
      "name": "Darío Ricardo Martín"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Carlos Martín Loza"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Marianela Ruth Ramírez"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Federico Coló"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "José Mordoh"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Estrella Mariel Levy"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/3nms0gx6s0r7k.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.3389/fimmu.2026.1995578",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "3nms0gx6s0r7k",
  "issns": [
    "1664-3224"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2026.1995578/full",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "2403|Immune Cell Function and Interaction"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7223896323",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2026.1995578/pdf",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-27",
  "publisher": "Frontiers Media SA",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/3nms0gx6s0r7k.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:19:17Z",
      "native_id": "10.3389/fimmu.2026.1995578",
      "source": "crossref",
      "url": "https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2026.1995578/full"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "openalex:2403|Immune Cell Function and Interaction",
      "subfield": "immunology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Characterization and ex vivo functional properties of NKG2C+ NK cells with adaptive features in breast tumors",
  "title_text": "Characterization and ex vivo functional properties of NKG2C+ NK cells with adaptive features in breast tumors",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:19:17Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/3nms0gx6s0r7k",
  "venue": "Frontiers in Immunology",
  "versions": []
}