Natural Killer Cells: From Innate to Adaptive Features
Adriana M. Mujal, Rebecca B. Delconte, Joseph C. Sun
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells are innate lymphocytes that provide critical host defense against pathogens and cancer. Originally heralded for their early and rapid effector activity, NK cells have been recognized over the last decade for their ability to undergo adaptive immune processes, including antigen-driven clonal expansion and generation of long-lived memory. This review presents an overview of how NK cells lithely partake in both innate and adaptive responses and how this versatility is manifest in human NK cell-mediated immunity.
Topics & Concepts
BiologyInnate immune systemEffectorInnate lymphoid cellAcquired immune systemImmunologyNatural killer cellLymphokine-activated killer cellImmunityImmune systemCell biologyInterleukin 21Cytotoxic T cellT cellGeneticsIn vitroImmune Cell Function and InteractionT-cell and B-cell ImmunologyCytomegalovirus and herpesvirus research