Natural killer cell
Innate immune cells that kill stressed cells lacking self markers.
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They represent 5–20% of circulating lymphocytes in humans and are classified as large granular lymphocytes.[1] Cytotoxic lymphocytes that are part of the innate immune system include natural killer cells.[1] Rapid responses to virus-infected cells, stressed cells, and tumor cells are provided by NK cells.[2]
Key facts and history
NK cells were named "natural killers" because they do not require prior activation to kill cells missing "self" markers of MHC class I.[2] The first published study asserting that untreated lymphoid cells could confer natural immunity to tumors was performed by Dr. Henry Smith in 1966.[3] In 1980, Timonen and Saksela demonstrated that density gradient-isolated large granular lymphocytes were responsible for human NK activity.[4] They differentiate from CD127+ common innate lymphoid progenitor cells.[5]
NK cells do not express T-cell antigen receptors or surface immunoglobulins.[6] Rolf Kiessling, Hugh Pross, and Mikael Jondal discovered in the early 1970s that a unique lymphocyte type was responsible for spontaneous cytotoxicity.[7] The presence of CD56 and the absence of CD3 are markers used to identify NK cells.[5]
References
- Wikipedia, "Natural killer cell" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Oshimi, "Clinical Features, Pathogenesis, and Treatment of Large Granular Lymphocyte Leukemias", Internal Medicine, 2017, p. 1759–1769; "Large granular lymphocytic (LGL) leukemia", www.lls.org; "Human NK cells: From development to effector functions", Innate Immunity, April 2021, p. 212–229 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Natural killer cell" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Innate or adaptive immunity? The example of natural killer cells", Science, January 2011, p. 44–49 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Natural killer cell" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Antigenicity of carcinogen-induced and spontaneous tumours in inbred mice", British Journal of Cancer, December 1966, p. 831–837; "Natural killer cells: artifact to reality: an odyssey in biology", Cancer and Metastasis Reviews, 1983, p. 323–336 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Natural killer cell" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Isolation of human NK cells by density gradient centrifugation", Journal of Immunological Methods, 1980, p. 285–291 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Natural killer cell" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Deciphering Natural Killer Cell Homeostasis", Frontiers in Immunology, 2020; "Innate lymphocytes-lineage, localization and timing of differentiation", Cellular & Molecular Immunology, July 2019, p. 627–633; "Innate lymphocytes-lineage, localization and timing of differentiation", Cellular & Molecular Immunology, July 2019, p. 627–633; "Development and differentiation of early innate lymphoid progenitors", The Journal of Experimental Medicine, January 2018, p. 249–262; "Antiviral NK cell responses in HIV infection: I. NK cell recept en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Natural killer cell" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Identification, activation, and selective in vivo ablation of mouse NK cells via NKp46", Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, February 2007, p. 3384–3389; "p46, a novel natural killer cell-specific surface molecule that mediates cell activation", The Journal of Experimental Medicine, October 1997, p. 1129–1136 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Natural killer cell" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: ""Natural" killer cells in the mouse. II. Cytotoxic cells with specificity for mouse Moloney leukemia cells. Characteristics of the killer cell", European Journal of Immunology, February 1975, p. 117–121; "Cytotoxic lymphocytes from normal donors. A functional marker of human non-T lymphocytes", Clinical and Experimental Immunology, August 1975, p. 226–235; "Surface markers on human b and t lymphocytes. VI. Cytotoxicity against cell lines as a functional marker for lymphocyte subpopulations", International Journal of Cancer, April 1 en.wikipedia.org
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Natural killer cell (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Natural killer cell (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Word definitions: the , each quoted from its Wikipedia article.
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