Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Human natural killer cell function and their interactions with dendritic cells.

Lorenzo Moretta1, Guido Ferlazzo, Maria Cristina Mingari

  • 1Dipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale, Università degli Studi di Genova, Italy. lorenzomoretta@ospedale-gaslini.ge.it

Vaccine
|May 24, 2003
PubMed
Summary

Natural killer (NK) cells, once considered basic, are now understood to play a key role in innate immunity. They target dangerous cells, but immature dendritic cells (DCs) are uniquely susceptible to NK cell attack.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Defining reference values for the gut microbiota in a Southern European population.

Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology·2026
Same author

Analyzing the effect of NK cells on in-vivo models of tumor dissemination by digital pathology and flow cytometry.

Methods in cell biology·2026
Same author

Characterization of anti-tumor activity in different NK cell subsets by multiparametric flow cytometry.

Methods in cell biology·2026
Same author

Immunostimulant-induced maturation of monocyte-derived dendritic cells in respiratory infection prophylaxis.

Drugs in context·2026
Same author

Interleukin-30 promotes melanoma spreading and triggers LAG-3 expression and T cell exhaustion.

Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie·2026
Same author

Pharyngeal Microbiota in Pre-COPD and COPD: Associations with Clinical Pattern and Respiratory Infection.

Biomedicines·2026

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Cellular Biology

Background:

  • Natural killer (NK) cells were historically viewed as primitive and non-specific immune cells.
  • Recent advances have elucidated their sophisticated functions and critical role in innate immune defenses.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the intricate relationship between NK cells and dendritic cells (DCs).
  • To understand how NK cells identify and eliminate abnormal cells, and their specific interactions with DCs.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of NK cell inhibitory and activating receptors.
  • Investigation of MHC-class I molecule expression on target cells.
  • Examination of NK cell interactions with immature and mature DCs.

Main Results:

  • NK cells detect target cells by sensing reduced MHC-class I expression, a hallmark of tumor or virally infected cells.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Immature DCs (iDCs) are susceptible to NK cell lysis due to low MHC-class I expression.
  • Mature DCs (mDCs), induced by factors like bacteria, upregulate MHC-class I, becoming resistant to NK cells.
  • A complex cross-talk exists, including DC-mediated NK cell activation and proliferation.

    • Conclusions:

    • NK cells are crucial effectors in innate immunity, with specific recognition mechanisms.
    • The interaction between NK cells and DCs is dynamic and bidirectional, influencing innate and adaptive immunity.
    • DC maturation state dictates susceptibility to NK cell-mediated lysis, highlighting a key regulatory checkpoint.