ALL STEM CELLS

Natural killer cells: In health and disease (2014)

Abstract Natural killer (NK) cells constitute our bodies’ frontline defense system, guarding against tumors and launching attacks against infections. The activities of NK cells are regulated by the interaction of various receptors expressed on their surfaces with cell surface ligands. While the role of NK cells in controlling tumor activity is relatively clear, the fact that they are also linked to various other disease conditions is now being highlighted. Here, we present an overview of the role of NK cells during normal body state as well as under diseased state.Wediscuss the possible utilization of these powerful cells as immunotherapeutic agents in combating diseases such as asthma, autoimmune diseases, and HIV-AIDS. This review also outlines current challenges in NK cell therapy.

 

KEYWORDS: Natural killer (NK) cells; NK cells and cancer; NK cells and HIV1; NK cells and autoimmunity; Immunotherapy

 

Origin : ª 2015 King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre.
Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND
license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.hemonc.2014.11.006