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Natural killer cells, also known as NK cells, are a type of cytotoxic lymphocyte critical to the innate immune system.They are a kind of large granular lymphocytes [1] [2] (LGL), and belong to the rapidly expanding family of known innate lymphoid cells (ILC) and represent 5–20% of all circulating lymphocytes in humans. [3]
Unlike T cells, NK cell receptors are germline encoded, and therefore do not require somatic gene rearrangements. [7] Because NK cells target self cells, they have an intricate mechanism by which they differentiate self and non-self cells in order to minimize the destruction of healthy cells and maximize the destruction of unhealthy cells. [20]
In cancers, a Killer Activation Receptor (KAR), located on the surface of the NK cell, binds to certain molecules which only appear on cells that are undergoing stress situations. In humans, this KAR is called NKG2D and the molecules it recognizes MICA and MICB. This binding provides a signal which induces the NK cell to kill the target cell. [9]
Antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity. Antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), also referred to as antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity, is a mechanism of cell-mediated immune defense whereby an effector cell of the immune system kills a target cell, whose membrane-surface antigens have been bound by specific antibodies. [1]
The mechanism of LAK cells is distinctive from that of natural killer cell because they can lyse cells that an NK cell cannot. LAK cells are also capable of acting against cells that do not display the major histocompatibility complex , as has been shown by the ability to cause lysis in non-immunogenic, allogeneic and syngeneic tumors.
Cytokine-induced killer cells (CIK) cells are a group of immune effector cells featuring a mixed T- and natural killer (NK) cell-like phenotype.They are generated by ex vivo incubation of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) or cord blood mononuclear cells with interferon-gamma (), anti-CD3 antibody, recombinant human interleukin (IL)-1 and recombinant human interleukin (IL)-2.
In a new study published in the journal Nature Medicine, a treatment aimed at killing off these zombie cells showed promise for helping older women’s bodies create new bone, potentially staving ...
Granzyme B also cleaves many of the proteins responsible for apoptosis in the absence of caspase activity. The other granzymes activate cell death by caspase-dependent and caspase-independent mechanisms. [1] In addition to killing their target cells, granzymes can target and kill intracellular pathogens.