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Human NK cells, their receptors and function
Author(s) -
Quatrini Linda,
Della Chiesa Mariella,
Sivori Simona,
Mingari Maria Cristina,
Pende Daniela,
Moretta Lorenzo
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
european journal of immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.272
H-Index - 201
eISSN - 1521-4141
pISSN - 0014-2980
DOI - 10.1002/eji.202049028
Subject(s) - biology , crosstalk , innate lymphoid cell , cytotoxic t cell , function (biology) , immunology , receptor , microbiology and biotechnology , innate immune system , immune system , neuroscience , in vitro , genetics , physics , optics
Abstract NK cells are cytotoxic components of innate lymphoid cells (ILC) that provide a first line of defense against viral infections and contribute to control tumor growth and metastasis. Their function is finely regulated by an array of HLA‐specific and non‐HLA‐specific inhibitory and activating receptors which allow to discriminate between healthy and altered cells. Human NK cells gained a major attention in recent years because of the important progresses in understanding their biology and of some promising data in tumor therapy. In this review, we will outline well‐established issues of human NK cells and discuss some of the open questions, debates, and recent advances regarding their origin, differentiation, and tissue distribution. Newly defined NK cell specializations, including the impact of inhibitory checkpoints on their function, their crosstalk with other cell types, and the remarkable adaptive features acquired in response to certain virus infections will also be discussed.