Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells have been known for many years as the lymphocyte subset characterized by the highest cytolytic potential against virus-infected and tumor-transformed cells. A surprisingly high number of surface molecules have been recognized that regulate human NK cell function. These include MHC-specific inhibitory receptors, which impair NK cells’ ability to attack normal self-tissues, and activating receptors and coreceptors that allowthemto recognize and kill transformed cells. The recent identification of some of the cellular ligands specifically recognized by these receptors/coreceptors contributes to elucidation of the mystery of the role played by NK cells in immune responses.
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© 2006 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
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Bottino, C., Moretta, L., Moretta, A. (2006). NK Cell Activating Receptors and Tumor Recognition in Humans. In: Compans, R., et al. Immunobiology of Natural Killer Cell Receptors. Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology, vol 298. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-27743-9_9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-27743-9_9
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
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