1. NK cells
- Author
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Laurence Zitvogel, Eugene Maraskovsky, Magali Terme, Nadine Fernandez, Joseph Wolfers, and Carole Masurier
- Subjects
Interleukin 21 ,In vivo ,Interleukin 12 ,medicine ,Tumor necrosis factor alpha ,Flt3 ligand ,Secretion ,Biology ,medicine.disease ,Metastasis ,Cell biology - Abstract
The initiation of host-protective mechanisms against pathogens (viruses, parasites) involves macrophages, dendritic cells (DCs) and natural killer (NK) cells that may interact either locally at the ports of entry or distally, but most likely through soluble mediators such as IFN, IL-12, and TNFα. NK-cell activation has the potential of contributing to beneficial immunoregulatory mechanisms critical in promoting early defenses against pathogenic agents and tumor metastasis. However, NK-cell overexpression of cytokines may be detrimental to the host therefore their activation must be tightly regulated. Flt3 ligand (FL) expands dramatically the number of DCs and enhances the generation of NK cells in vivo . Mature DCs are known to secrete various cytokines capable of activating NK cells. However, these soluble factors do not play a major role in the activation of resting NK cells by DCs.
- Published
- 2001
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