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Activated Natural Killer Cells

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Encyclopedia of Cancer

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Synonyms

K cells; K lymphocyte; Killer cells; LAK; Large granular lymphocyte; Lymphokine activated killer

Definition

White blood cells that kill tumor and virus-infected cells as part of the body’s immune system (Unified Medical Language System). A type of white blood cell that contains granules with enzymes that can kill tumor cells or microbial cells (National Cancer Institute). A circulating cellular biosensor, regulating immunity through release of cytokines, maturation of dendritic cells, and recognition and lysis of stressed cells, allowing sampling of cellular contents for delivery to phagocytic cells (our definition).

Characteristics

Biology of NK Cells

Natural killer cellscomprise 10–15 % of circulating lymphocytes in normal adults and are also found in peripheral tissues, including the liver, peritoneal cavity, lymph nodes, and placenta. NK cells were first reported by Wunderlich, Herberman, and Sendo and others in the early 1970s. They were first discovered on the basis of...

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References

  • Arnon TI, Markel G, Mandelboim O (2006) Tumor and viral recognition by natural killer cells receptors. Semin Cancer Biol 16:348–358

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  • DeMarco RA, Fink MP, Lotze MT (2005) Monocytes promote natural killer cell interferon gamma production in response to the endogenous danger signal HMGB1. Mol Immunol 42(4):433–444

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  • Lotze MT, Line BR, Mathisen DJ et al (1980) The in vivo distribution of autologous human and murine lymphoid cells grown in T cell growth factor (TCGF): implications for the adoptive immunotherapy of tumors. J Immunol 125(4):1487–1493

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  • Moretta A, Bottino C, Vitale M et al (1996) Receptors for HLA-class I-molecules in human natural killer cells. Annu Rev Immunol 14:619–648

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Surgery and Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

    Norimasa Ito

Authors
  1. Norimasa Ito
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  2. Herbert J. Zeh III
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  3. Michael T. Lotze
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Norimasa Ito .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Abt. Tumorgenetik, Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, Heidelberg, Germany

    Manfred Schwab

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© 2015 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Ito, N., Zeh, H.J., Lotze, M.T. (2015). Activated Natural Killer Cells. In: Schwab, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Cancer. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27841-9_48-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27841-9_48-2

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-27841-9

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