Circulating natural killer cells are phenotypically and functionally altered in age-related macular degeneration.

Abstract

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of irreversible central blindness and can result in pathological neovascularization. Using a "human-first" approach, we identify immunotherapy as a disease modifier in models of neovascular AMD (nAMD). Plasma cytokine analysis in a large population cohort reveals an imbalance of lymphocytic cytokines associated with severity of AMD, leading to discovery of a skewed peripheral natural killer (NK) cell phenotype in individuals with AMD. Peripheral NK cells are rapidly activated in nAMD models, and single-cell RNA sequencing demonstrates expansion of activated cytolytic NK cells within neovascular lesions during resolution. NK cells localize to neovessels in human AMD donor eyes; however, they exhibit markers of terminal differentiation and quiescence. Adoptive transfer of pre-activated NK cells reduces neovascularization and restores barrier integrity. Our data identify a distinct, functionally altered NK cell phenotype in nAMD and suggests harnessing NK cells represents an immunotherapeutic alternative for the treatment of nAMD.