NgR1 is an NK cell inhibitory receptor that destabilizes the immunological synapse

The formation of an immunological synapse (IS) is essential for natural killer (NK) cells to eliminate target cells. Despite an advanced understanding of the characteristics of the IS and its formation processes, the mechanisms that regulate its stability via the cytoskeleton are unclear. Here, we show that Nogo receptor 1 (NgR1) has an important function in modulating NK cell-mediated killing by destabilization of IS formation. NgR1 deficiency or blockade resulted in improved tumor control of NK cells by enhancing NK-to-target cell contact stability and regulating F-actin dynamics during IS formation. Patients with tumors expressing abundant NgR1 ligand had poor prognosis despite high levels of NK cell infiltration. Thus, our study identifies NgR1 as an immune checkpoint in IS formation and indicates a potential approach to improve the cytolytic function of NK cells in cancer immunotherapy. The formation of an immunological synapse is central to the ability of NK cells to lyse target cells. Here the authors show that Nogo receptor 1 (NgR1) might be a good target for cancer immunotherapy as it destabilizes the NK synapse, resulting in defective killing of tumor cells.