
Subramaniam Malarkannan, PhD
Professor and Gardetto Chair for Immunology and Immunotherapy; Professor, Medicine (Hematology and Oncology) and Microbiology & Immunology; Senior Investigator, Versiti Blood Research Institute
Locations
- Microbiology & Immunology
Contact Information
General Interests
Education
Research Interests
Our laboratory studies the basic biology and clinical utilization of NK cells. The following are the major areas of our focus:
I. NK cell-mediated Immunotherapy
NK and T cells hold significant promise in formulating novel cellular immunotherapies targeted to chemo-resistant/relapsing malignant hematopoietic and solid tumors. Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR)-based NK or T cell-mediated cellular immunotherapy offers hope. However, CAR-mediated therapy also causes a deleterious pathological condition called, 'cytokine-release syndrome' (CRS), a potentially fatal condition. In this context, our lab is interested in defining the signaling cascades by which anti-tumor cytotoxicity and induction of inflammation are individually regulated in NK and T cells. Our recent study using unmanipulated NK cells identified a unique Fyn-ADAP-Carma1 signaling pathway that is exclusively responsible for the production of inflammatory cytokines, not anti-tumor cytotoxicity. We are currently working to engineer a ‘CRS-free-CAR’ therapy.
II. Spacetime relationship of signaling events in NK cells
Spaciotemporal organization of signaling events in lymphocytes are poorly understood. Hundreds of signaling molecules take part in transducing membrane proximal events into cellular functions. However, the precise mechanisms that co-ordinate and contain a pathway remain elusive. Scaffolding proteins provide insights into how signaling events can be spatiotemporally coordinated. IQGAP1 is a 190 kDa cytoplasmic scaffolding protein. Based on our preliminary work, we identify multiple scaffolding functions for IQGAP1.
First, IQGAP1 regulates the terminal maturation and subset specification of NK cells. Second, IQGAP1 forms a novel signalosome around the perinuclear region to regulate ERK1/2 activation via Rac1→Pak→Raf→MEK1/2 pathway. Third, IQGAP1 plays a central role in actin polymerization, microtubule elongation and MTOC formation, which are important for the immunological synapse formation, tumor lysis and cell movement. Our work will provide crucial insights into how scaffolding proteins regulate the development, maturation and effector functions of NK cells.
III. Metabolic Reprogramming in NK Cells
NK Cells are crucial in mediating anti-tumor cytotoxicity. Transition of ‘resting’ to an ‘activated’ NK cell status requires a significant change in its bioenergetic requirements However, the molecular mechanism that regulates this metabolic reprogramming in NK cells is yet to be defined. When and how NK cells switch to ‘Warburg’ metabolism is central to formulating successful therapeutic approaches of cancer treatment.
Using two scaffold proteins, IQGAP1 and KSR1 that are predominantly expressed in lymphocytes, as molecular models we have uncovered a novel mechanism that is central to the metabolic reprogramming of NK cells. NK cells from Iqgap1-/-,Ksr1-/-, and Iqgap1-/-Ksr1-/- mice displayed a significantly impaired pattern of oxygen consumption rate (OCR) and extracellular acidification rate (ECAR), demonstrating an impaired mitochondrial function. In addition, lack of IQGAP1 and/or KSR1 significantly altered B-Raf/C-Raf→MEK1/2→ERK1/2→RSK1→ S6S235/S236 and PI3K-p85a→PDK1→AKT1T308→mTORC1→S6K1→S6S240/S244 signaling pathways. Results will provide novel insights into how two scaffold proteins IQGAP1 and KSR1 regulate the metabolic reprogramming of NK cells.
Publications
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MyD88 is an essential regulator of NK cell-mediated clearance of MCMV infection.
(Dixon KJ, Siebert JR, Wang D, Abel AM, Johnson KE, Riese MJ, Terhune SS, Tarakanova VL, Thakar MS, Malarkannan S.) Mol Immunol. 2021 09;137:94-104 PMID: 34242922 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85109126048 07/10/2021
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The Role of microRNAs in NK Cell Development and Function.
(Nanbakhsh A, Malarkannan S.) Cells. 2021 08 07;10(8) PMID: 34440789 PMCID: PMC8391642 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85115193231 08/28/2021
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Implications of a 'Third Signal' in NK Cells.
(Khalil M, Wang D, Hashemi E, Terhune SS, Malarkannan S.) Cells. 2021 07 31;10(8) PMID: 34440725 PMCID: PMC8393955 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85115044374 08/28/2021
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Role of GATA2 in Human NK Cell Development.
(Wang D, Uyemura B, Hashemi E, Bjorgaard S, Riese M, Verbsky J, Thakar MS, Malarkannan S.) Crit Rev Immunol. 2021;41(2):21-33 PMID: 34348000 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85113414587 08/05/2021
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NK Cell Development and Function in Patients with Fanconi Anemia.
(Hashemi E, Bjorgaard S, Wang D, Uyemura B, Riese M, Thakar MS, Malarkannan S.) Crit Rev Immunol. 2021;41(2):35-44 PMID: 34348001 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85113381824 08/05/2021
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Molecular mechanisms of FasL-mediated 'reverse-signaling'.
(Malarkannan S.) Mol Immunol. 2020 11;127:31-37 PMID: 32905906 PMCID: PMC7606657 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85090199863 09/10/2020
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(Malarkannan S.) Nat Immunol. 2020 10;21(10):1139-1140 PMID: 32839609 SCOPUS ID: 2-s2.0-85089783013 08/26/2020
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Conditional Deletion of PGC-1α Results in Energetic and Functional Defects in NK Cells.
(Gerbec ZJ, Hashemi E, Nanbakhsh A, Holzhauer S, Yang C, Mei A, Tsaih SW, Lemke A, Flister MJ, Riese MJ, Thakar MS, Malarkannan S.) iScience. 2020 Aug 13;23(9):101454 PMID: 32858341 PMCID: PMC7474003 08/29/2020
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Transcriptional Regulation of Natural Killer Cell Development and Functions.
(Wang D, Malarkannan S.) Cancers (Basel). 2020 Jun 16;12(6) PMID: 32560225 PMCID: PMC7352776 06/21/2020
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Tissue-Resident NK Cells: Development, Maturation, and Clinical Relevance.
(Hashemi E, Malarkannan S.) Cancers (Basel). 2020 Jun 12;12(6) PMID: 32545516 PMCID: PMC7352973 06/18/2020
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Entinostat augments NK cell functions via epigenetic upregulation of IFIT1-STING-STAT4 pathway.
(Idso JM, Lao S, Schloemer NJ, Knipstein J, Burns R, Thakar MS, Malarkannan S.) Oncotarget. 2020 May 19;11(20):1799-1815 PMID: 32499867 PMCID: PMC7244011 06/06/2020
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Transcriptional Regulation of NK Cell Development by mTOR Complexes.
(Yang C, Malarkannan S.) Front Cell Dev Biol. 2020;8:566090 PMID: 33240877 PMCID: PMC7683515 11/27/2020