Strategies of Natural Killer (NK) Cell Recognition and Their Roles in Tumor Immunosurveillance

摘要: Natural Killer cells (NK cells) represent an interesting epistemological example in Immunology. First considered as “background noise” T-cell cytolytic assays, (NK) were characterized more than 30 years ago cytotoxic effectors of the innate immune system (Kiessling et al. 1975). Later, NK recognized a peculiar type large granular lymphocytes that are widespread throughout body (Lanier 1986), being present both lymphoid organs and non-lymphoid peripheral tissues (Cooper 2004; Ferlazzo Munz 2004). Their specificity for variety tumor cells, virus-infected or allogeneic along with their lack antigen-specific receptors, have puzzled immunologists many years. Since this time, series discoveries shed light on mechanisms cell effector function simultaneously broadened our views detection strategies (Carayannopoulos Yokoyama Lanier 2005; Moretta 2002; Stewart 2006; Vivier Biron 2002). Such include “missing-self recognition” (via major histocompatibility complex [MHC] class I) (Karre identification inhibitory surface receptors modulate activation Immunoreceptor Tyrosine-based Inhibition Motifs: ITIM) (Vely 1997) “stress-induced self NKG2D) (Raulet 2003) (Fig. 1). The involvement control viral parasitic infections, auto-immunity, reproduction well clinical outcome hematopoietic transplants has been reviewed recently Johansson Korbel Lodoen Orange Ballas Parham Ruggeri Zhang 2005). Open image new window Fig. 1 Natural killer recognition strategies. Schematic representation mode interaction partner (see text details)