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Natural killer cells—toward clinical application
Author(s) -
Schattner Ami,
Duggan David B.
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
american journal of hematology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.456
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1096-8652
pISSN - 0361-8609
DOI - 10.1002/ajh.2830180415
Subject(s) - biology , immunology , natural killer cell , immune system , interleukin 21 , innate lymphoid cell , lymphokine activated killer cell , interferon , nk 92 , natural killer t cell , lymphocyte , interleukin 12 , microbiology and biotechnology , t cell , acquired immune system , cytotoxic t cell , in vitro , genetics
Natural killer (NK) cells are non‐B, non‐T lymphoid cells of uncertain lineage that rapidly recognize and lyse a large variety of tumor or virus‐infected cells, without the need for either prior sensitization or major histocompatability complex (MHC)‐dependent recognition. Though some essential problems in understanding NK cell function are still unsolved, considerable progress has been achieved in recent years following the identification of the characteristic large granular lymphocyte (LGL) morphology of NK cells and their purification, the study of their function at the single‐cell level, and the cloning of mouse and human NK cell lines. Activated mainly by interferon (IFN), as well as important producers of IFN, NK cells appear to have a distinct role in immunoregulation in addition to their postulated major role in “immune surveillance,” for which convincing in vivo data has accumulated. Future clinical applications may therefore include manipulations of the NK system through expansion and activation of patient's LGL or the use of cloned human NK cell lines.