Leaderboards/NK Cells

NK Cells

Last updated May 19, 2026

Rising Stars

New and hot

Rising Stars Researchers

1
Lucas Rebuffet
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
642 cit.
2
Marco De Zuani
Wellcome/MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute
324 cit.
3
Armin Ghobadi
Washington University in St. Louis
312 cit.
4
Shin Foong Ngiow
Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy
270 cit.
5
Herman Netskar
Oslo University Hospital
240 cit.
6
Mayra Shanley
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
237 cit.
7
Yan Zhong
Southern Medical University Shenzhen Hospital
230 cit.
8
Gengjie Jia
University of Science and Technology of China
201 cit.
9
Jaya Lakshmi Thangaraj
University of California San Diego
192 cit.
10
Christopher S. McGinnis
Gladstone Institutes
183 cit.

Rising Stars Papers

1
High-dimensional single-cell analysis of human natural killer cell heterogeneity
Nature Immunology|2024
213 cit.
2
Single-cell and spatial transcriptomics analysis of non-small cell lung cancer
Nature Communications|2024
161 cit.
3
Induced pluripotent stem-cell-derived CD19-directed chimeric antigen receptor natural killer cells in B-cell lymphoma: a phase 1, first-in-human trial
The Lancet|2025
103 cit.
4
LAG-3 sustains TOX expression and regulates the CD94/NKG2-Qa-1b axis to govern exhausted CD8 T cell NK receptor expression and cytotoxicity
Cell|2024
89 cit.
5
Pan-cancer profiling of tumor-infiltrating natural killer cells through transcriptional reference mapping
Nature Immunology|2024
79 cit.
6
Interleukin-21 engineering enhances NK cell activity against glioblastoma via CEBPD
Cancer Cell|2024
78 cit.
7
Emerging roles of CAR-NK cell therapies in tumor immunotherapy: current status and future directions
Cell Death Discovery|2024
91 cit.
8
Spatial immune scoring system predicts hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence
Nature|2025
66 cit.
9
Disruption of TGF-β signaling pathway is required to mediate effective killing of hepatocellular carcinoma by human iPSC-derived NK cells
Cell stem cell|2024
63 cit.
10
The temporal progression of lung immune remodeling during breast cancer metastasis
Cancer Cell|2024
60 cit.

Rising Stars Reagents

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Emerging Leaders

Gaining momentum

Emerging Leaders Researchers

1
Katayoun Rezvani
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
718 cit.
2
Valeria R. Fantin
AVEO Oncology (United States)
599 cit.
3
Zemin Zhang
Peking University
413 cit.
4
Sheila A. Stewart
Washington University in St. Louis
201 cit.
5
Xin Ge
First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University
176 cit.
6
Elisabeth Puchhammer‐Stöckl
Medical University of Vienna
162 cit.
7
David R. Withers
University of Birmingham
153 cit.
8
David A. Barbie
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
138 cit.
9
Jan J. Molenaar
Unknown
137 cit.
10
Ellen Puré
University of Pennsylvania
132 cit.

Emerging Leaders Papers

1
Safety, efficacy and determinants of response of allogeneic CD19-specific CAR-NK cells in CD19+ B cell tumors: a phase 1/2 trial
Nature Medicine|2024
434 cit.
2
Natural killer cell therapies
Nature|2024
399 cit.
3
A pan-cancer single-cell panorama of human natural killer cells
Cell|2023
413 cit.
4
Senescent CAFs Mediate Immunosuppression and Drive Breast Cancer Progression
Cancer Discovery|2024
134 cit.
5
Breakthrough of solid tumor treatment: CAR-NK immunotherapy
Cell Death Discovery|2024
141 cit.
6
Ineffective control of Epstein-Barr-virus-induced autoimmunity increases the risk for multiple sclerosis
Cell|2023
162 cit.
7
Rapid functional impairment of natural killer cells following tumor entry limits anti-tumor immunity
Nature Communications|2024
153 cit.
8
<i>TREX1</i> Inactivation Unleashes Cancer Cell STING–Interferon Signaling and Promotes Antitumor Immunity
Cancer Discovery|2024
92 cit.
9
Integrative analysis of neuroblastoma by single-cell RNA sequencing identifies the NECTIN2-TIGIT axis as a target for immunotherapy
Cancer Cell|2024
91 cit.
10
Desmoplastic stroma restricts T cell extravasation and mediates immune exclusion and immunosuppression in solid tumors
Nature Communications|2023
198 cit.

Emerging Leaders Reagents

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All-Time Leaders

The canon

All-Time Leaders Researchers

1
Ofer Mandelboim
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
19.8k cit.
2
Masaru Taniguchi
Kirin (Japan)
10.8k cit.
3
Laurie H. Glimcher
Harvard University
10.6k cit.
4
Andrea Velardi
University of Perugia
10.1k cit.
5
Mark F. Pittenger
Osiris Therapeutics (United States)
9k cit.
6
Lewis L. Lanier
Cancer Research Institute
8.4k cit.
7
Alain Fischer
Inserm
7.9k cit.
8
Masashi Kurimoto
Hayashibara (Japan)
7.8k cit.
9
Koichi Akashi
Stanford University
6.6k cit.
10
Andrew J. McMichael
John Radcliffe Hospital
6.6k cit.

All-Time Leaders Papers

1
A Novel Transcription Factor, T-bet, Directs Th1 Lineage Commitment
Cell|2000
3.5k cit.
2
The interaction of TIGIT with PVR and PVRL2 inhibits human NK cell cytotoxicity
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences|2009
3.5k cit.
3
Effectiveness of Donor Natural Killer Cell Alloreactivity in Mismatched Hematopoietic Transplants
Science|2002
3.4k cit.
4
World Health Organization Classification of Tumours: Pathology and Genetics of Tumours of Haematopoietic and Lymphoid Tissues
Annals of Oncology|2002
4.6k cit.
5
Human mesenchymal stem cells modulate allogeneic immune cell responses
Blood|2004
4.5k cit.
6
Gene Therapy of Human Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID)-X1 Disease
Science|2000
2.6k cit.
7
Cloning of a new cytokine that induces IFN-γ production by T cells
Nature|1995
2.6k cit.
8
CD1d-Restricted and TCR-Mediated Activation of V <sub>α</sub> 14 NKT Cells by Glycosylceramides
Science|1997
2.4k cit.
9
Identification of Clonogenic Common Lymphoid Progenitors in Mouse Bone Marrow
Cell|1997
2.2k cit.
10
HLA-E binds to natural killer cell receptors CD94/NKG2A, B and C
Nature|1998
2.2k cit.

All-Time Leaders Reagents

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Indexing NK Cells Reagents

Citation data for reagents in this field is currently compiling.