Natural Killer Cells: From Innate to Adaptive Features

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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.

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Author and article information

Journal

Title: Annual Review of Immunology

Abbreviated Title: Annu. Rev. Immunol.

Publisher: Annual Reviews

ISSN (Print): 0732-0582

ISSN (Electronic): 1545-3278

Publication date Created: April 26 2021

Publication date (Print): April 26 2021

Volume: 39

Issue: 1

Pages: 417-447

Affiliations

[1 ]Immunology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA;

[2 ]Department of Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA

Article

DOI: 10.1146/annurev-immunol-101819-074948

PubMed ID: 33902312

SO-VID: 8e343755-cbb1-43c5-b348-bd030c9a94f5

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