IMMUNOLOGY2026™ Conference Recordings For Attendees-Innate-like Lymphocyte Responses and Memory

Video Transcription

Video Summary

Joe Sun’s talk described how NK cells, long considered part of the innate immune system, can show adaptive immune features such as antigen specificity, clonal expansion, long-lived persistence, and recall responses, especially during cytomegalovirus infection. He reviewed mouse and human studies showing expansion of receptors like LY49H and NKG2C, the emergence of memory-like NK cells, and evidence that these cells undergo transcriptional and epigenetic reprogramming. He also discussed how signal strength and receptor expression can shape NK cell function, including differing roles for high- and low-avidity cells. Beyond viruses, he noted that NK memory can also be induced by cytokines, haptens, and lymphopenia. Finally, he broadened the discussion to other innate immune and non-immune cells, including ILCs, myeloid cells, stem cells, and epithelial cells, where similar “trained” or inflammatory memory states have been observed. He closed by highlighting the therapeutic potential of understanding these adaptive-like programs for vaccine design and cancer immunotherapy.

Meta Tag

Date April 15, 2026 4:15 PM - 4:45 PM

Room 104AB

Session AAI Program Committee Session: Back to School: A Review of Four Fast-Moving Fields, sponsored by the AAI Program Committee

Speaker Joseph Sun

Track Lymphocyte Differentiation and Peripheral Maintenance (LYM)

Year 2026

Keywords

NK cells

adaptive immunity

cytomegalovirus

memory-like NK cells

clonal expansion

epigenetic reprogramming

cancer immunotherapy

April 15, 2026 4:15 PM - 4:45 PM

104AB

AAI Program Committee Session: Back to School: A Review of Four Fast-Moving Fields, sponsored by the AAI Program Committee

Joseph Sun

Lymphocyte Differentiation and Peripheral Maintenance (LYM)

2026