natural killer cell
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English
Etymology
The description "natural killer" refers to the fact that they do not require activation to kill cells missing MHC class I "self" markers.
Noun
natural killer cell (plural natural killer cells)
- (immunology) Any cell that expresses cell surface receptors that deliver signals to either activate or inhibit a response as part of the innate immune system.
- Synonyms: large granular lymphocyte, NK, NK cell
- 1982, Gustavo Cudkowicz, “Regulation of Natural Cytotoxic Activity”, in Sigurd J. Normann, Ernst Sorkin, editors, Macrophages and Natural Killer Cells, Plenum Press, page 767:
- While such information doesn't assist us in deciding whether natural killer cells derive from a macrophage or T cell lineage, it does tell us that the mouse natural killer cell system is a thymus dependent system.
- 1984, Meir Kende, Joseph Gainer, Michael A. Chirigos (editors), Chemical Regulation of Immunity in Veterinary Medicine: Proceedings of a Symposium, A. R. Liss, page 138,
- Natural killer cell activity is currently an area of active interest in cellular immunology (Herberman 1981).
- 1999, Toxicological Profile for Lead, United States Department of Health and Human Services, page 173:
- The effects of lead exposure of varying duration on natural killer cell and T-lymphocyte function were investigated in rats.
Translations
cell that expresses cell surface receptors that deliver signals to either activate or inhibit a response
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See also
- cytotoxic T cell (performs an analogous role for the adaptive immune system)