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Updated: Jul 13, 2026

Generation of Natural Killer Cells from Human Expanded Potential Stem Cells
Published on: January 13, 2023
Natural killer (NK) cells from killers to regulators: distinct features between peripheral blood and decidual NK
Angela Santoni1, Alessandra Zingoni, Cristina Cerboni
1Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, Italy. angela.santoni@uniroma1.it
Abstract:
Natural killer (NK) cells are a key component of innate immunity, particularly crucial during the early phase of immune responses against certain viruses, parasites, and microbial pathogens. The role of NK cell during pregnancy has been vividly discussed over the past years and it is now becoming increasingly clear that NK cells control pregnancy maintenance at several levels. In normal pregnancy, it appears that they provide benefit by properly secreting cytokines, chemokines and angiogenic factors rather than functioning as cytotoxic effector cells. However, as they are endowed with all the cytolytic weapons, they promptly become capable of attacking fetal and maternal tissues during infection and inflammation.
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