Natural Killer Cell Education and the Response to Infection and Cancer Therapy: Stay Tuned. Review uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • The functional capacities of natural killer (NK) cells differ within and between individuals, reflecting considerable genetic variation. 'Licensing/arming', 'disarming', and 'tuning' are models that have been proposed to explain how interactions between MHC class I molecules and their cognate inhibitory receptors - Ly49 in mice and KIR in humans - 'educate' NK cells for variable reactivity and sensitivity to inhibition. In this review we discuss recent progress toward understanding the genetic, epigenetic, and molecular features that titrate NK effector function and inhibition, and the impact of variable NK cell education on human health and disease.

publication date

  • January 31, 2018

Research

keywords

  • Histocompatibility Antigens Class I
  • Immune System Diseases
  • Killer Cells, Natural
  • Neoplasms
  • Receptors, KIR

Identity

PubMed Central ID

  • PMC6013060

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 85041565545

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1016/j.it.2017.12.001

PubMed ID

  • 29397297

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 39

issue

  • 3