NK cell development, homeostasis and function: parallels with CD8+ T cells

JC Sun, LL Lanier - Nature Reviews Immunology, 2011 - nature.com
JC Sun, LL Lanier
Nature Reviews Immunology, 2011nature.com
Natural killer (NK) cells survey host tissues for signs of infection, transformation or stress
and, true to their name, kill target cells that have become useless or are detrimental to the
host. For decades, NK cells have been classified as a component of the innate immune
system. However, accumulating evidence in mice and humans suggests that, like the B and
T cells of the adaptive immune system, NK cells are educated during development, possess
antigen-specific receptors, undergo clonal expansion during infection and generate long …
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells survey host tissues for signs of infection, transformation or stress and, true to their name, kill target cells that have become useless or are detrimental to the host. For decades, NK cells have been classified as a component of the innate immune system. However, accumulating evidence in mice and humans suggests that, like the B and T cells of the adaptive immune system, NK cells are educated during development, possess antigen-specific receptors, undergo clonal expansion during infection and generate long-lived memory cells. In this Review, we highlight the many stages that an NK cell progresses through during its remarkable lifetime, discussing similarities and differences with its close relative, the cytotoxic CD8+ T cell.
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