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Review
. 2021 Apr 26:39:417-447.
doi: 10.1146/annurev-immunol-101819-074948.

Natural Killer Cells: From Innate to Adaptive Features

Adriana M Mujal  1 , Rebecca B Delconte  1 , Joseph C Sun  1   2
Affiliations
Review

Natural Killer Cells: From Innate to Adaptive Features

Adriana M Mujal et al. Annu Rev Immunol. .

Abstract

Natural killer (NK) cells are innate lymphocytes that provide critical host defense against pathogens and cancer. Originally heralded for their early and rapid effector activity, NK cells have been recognized over the last decade for their ability to undergo adaptive immune processes, including antigen-driven clonal expansion and generation of long-lived memory. This review presents an overview of how NK cells lithely partake in both innate and adaptive responses and how this versatility is manifest in human NK cell-mediated immunity.

Keywords: HCMV; MCMV; adaptive NK cell; human cytomegalovirus; immunological memory; innate immunity; mouse cytomegalovirus.

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