Evasion of NKG2D-mediated cytotoxic immunity by sarbecoviruses
SARS-CoV-2 uses ORF6, a conserved protein among sarbecoviruses, to evade cytotoxic cell NKG2D recognition through a mechanism that results in the shedding of the surface proteins MIC-A/B. Inhibition of this shedding process with a monoclonal antibody enhances natural killer cell activity against the virus and offers a potential therapeutic agent to augment cytotoxic immunity against the broader family of viruses.