Molecular mechanisms of NK cell development and diseases associated with functional compromise of NK cells / 中国免疫学杂志

ABSTRACT

Natural killer cells are the key effector cells in innate immune response,playing the role in pathogen clearance and tumor immunosurveillance by cytokine secretion and cytotoxicity.Hematopoietic stem cells go through developmental intermediates to generate mature NK cells under the progressive regulation of extrinsic factors and intrinsic factors.In the past thirty years, great progresses have been made in the developmental progress,niches,regulation of NK cells and the relationship between NK cells and dis-eases.In this review,we will discuss in detail the molecular mechanisms of NK cell development and the diseases caused by functional compromise of NK cells.