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 Concept Videos

Immune Response Against Viral Pathogens01:29

Immune Response Against Viral Pathogens

The immune system's response to viral infections is a complex and coordinated process involving natural killer (NK) cells, T cell-mediated responses, and antibody-mediated responses.
NK Cells
NK cells are a crucial part of our innate immune system, acting as the first line of defense against viral infections. These cells can recognize and kill infected cells without prior exposure to the virus, effectively slowing down the spread of infection. Additionally, NK cells produce proinflammatory...
Cells of the Innate Immune Response01:28

Cells of the Innate Immune Response

The innate immune response is an immediate and non-specific response against pathogens, acting swiftly to prevent the spread of infections. The primary cells involved in this response are phagocytes and natural killer (NK) cells.
Phagocytes
Phagocytes police the peripheral tissues by removing cellular debris and responding to the invasion of foreign substances or pathogens. Many phagocytes attack and remove microorganisms even before lymphocytes detect them. The human body has two general...
Cytotoxic T Cells-mediated Immune Response01:27

Cytotoxic T Cells-mediated Immune Response

Cytotoxic T cells are a vital component of the immune system. They have the remarkable ability to identify and target antigens on infected or abnormal cells. These antigens often originate from intracellular pathogens such as viruses or abnormal proteins cancer cells produce.
Immunological surveillance is the ability of immune cells to monitor and eliminate infected cells with intracellular pathogens, neoplastically transformed cells, and cells with non-self antigens. Cytotoxic T cells and NK...
Immune Surveillance by NK Cells and Phagocytes01:25

Immune Surveillance by NK Cells and Phagocytes

Immune surveillance is an integral part of the innate immune system, involving the continuous monitoring of peripheral tissues to detect and respond to pathogens, infected cells, or cancerous cells. This surveillance is conducted primarily by natural killer (NK) cells and phagocytes, which employ distinct but complementary mechanisms to identify and eliminate threats.
Natural Killer Cells: The Fast Responders
NK cells are large granular lymphocytes found in the blood and lymphatic system. These...
Viral Mutations00:36

Viral Mutations

A mutation is a change in the sequence of bases of DNA or RNA in a genome. Some mutations occur during replication of the genome due to errors made by the polymerase enzymes that replicate DNA or RNA. Unlike DNA polymerase, RNA polymerase is prone to errors because it is not capable of “proofreading” its work. Viruses with RNA-based genomes, like HIV, therefore accrue mutations faster than viruses with DNA-based genomes. Because mutation and recombination provide the raw material for adaptive...
Viral Recombination00:57

Viral Recombination

Cells are sometimes infected by more than one virus at once. When two viruses disassemble to expose their genomes for replication in the same cell, similar regions of their genomes can pair together and exchange sequences in a process called recombination. Alternatively, viruses with segmented genomes can swap segments in a process called reassortment.

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Site-specific genome engineering of primary human natural killer cells for programmable anti-tumor function.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025
Same author

FcɛR1γ-based activating chimeric antigen receptor enhanced natural killer cell function against HLA-E+ cells.

Journal of immunology (Baltimore, Md. : 1950)·2025
Same author

High-affinity CD16A polymorphism associated with reduced risk ofsevere COVID-19.

JCI insight·2025
Same author

Cytomegalovirus-associated CD57 + KLRG1 + CD8 + TEMRA T cells are associated with reduced risk of CMV viremia in kidney transplantation and chronic allograft dysfunction in lung transplantation.

Human immunology·2025
Same author

SYK negatively regulates ITAM-mediated human NK cell signaling and CD19-CAR NK cell efficacy.

Journal of immunology (Baltimore, Md. : 1950)·2025
Same author

Clonal stochasticity in early NK cell response to mouse cytomegalovirus is generated by mature subsets of varying proliferative ability.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025
Same journal

A guide to CAR T cell therapies: development, current status and future prospects.

Nature reviews. Immunology·2026
Same journal

Macrophages in embryonic development.

Nature reviews. Immunology·2026
Same journal

Glycolytic capacity instructs tumour vasculature and response to immunotherapy.

Nature reviews. Immunology·2026
Same journal

Vaginal NK cells limit epithelial barrier disruption during infection.

Nature reviews. Immunology·2026
Same journal

New insights into progenitor exhausted T cell populations.

Nature reviews. Immunology·2026
Same journal

T cell engagers in autoimmune diseases.

Nature reviews. Immunology·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 6, 2026

Advances in Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Chimeric Antigen Receptor-Expressing Natural Killer Cells
11:08

Advances in Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Chimeric Antigen Receptor-Expressing Natural Killer Cells

Published on: February 14, 2025

Evolutionary struggles between NK cells and viruses.

Lewis L Lanier1

  • 1Department of Microbiology and Immunology, and the Cancer Research Institute, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143-0414, USA. lewis.lanier@ucsf.edu

Nature Reviews. Immunology
|March 15, 2008
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Natural killer (NK) cells are crucial for innate immunity against viruses and other pathogens. These cells defend the host by releasing cytokines and killing infected cells, influencing adaptive immunity.

More Related Videos

Purification and Expansion of Mouse Invariant Natural Killer T Cells for in vitro and in vivo Studies
08:37

Purification and Expansion of Mouse Invariant Natural Killer T Cells for in vitro and in vivo Studies

Published on: February 15, 2021

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 6, 2026

Advances in Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Chimeric Antigen Receptor-Expressing Natural Killer Cells
11:08

Advances in Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Chimeric Antigen Receptor-Expressing Natural Killer Cells

Published on: February 14, 2025

Purification and Expansion of Mouse Invariant Natural Killer T Cells for in vitro and in vivo Studies
08:37

Purification and Expansion of Mouse Invariant Natural Killer T Cells for in vitro and in vivo Studies

Published on: February 15, 2021

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Cell Biology
  • Virology

Background:

  • Natural killer (NK) cells are recognized for their role in the initial defense against viral infections.
  • NK cells are also involved in immune responses to bacterial and parasitic infections.
  • Pathogens, particularly viruses, have evolved mechanisms to evade NK cell detection and function.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the multifaceted roles of NK cells in host defense.
  • To understand the intricate interplay between NK cells and pathogens.
  • To explore how NK cell interactions shape adaptive immunity.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on NK cell function and pathogen evasion strategies.
  • Analysis of NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity and cytokine secretion.
  • Investigation of NK cell interactions with dendritic cells and their impact on adaptive immune responses.

Main Results:

  • NK cells provide rapid defense against viral pathogens through direct killing and cytokine release.
  • NK cells contribute to immunity against bacterial and parasitic infections.
  • Viral strategies to inhibit NK cell activation are a significant factor in host-pathogen dynamics.

Conclusions:

  • NK cells are essential components of the innate immune system, offering immediate protection against infections.
  • The interaction between NK cells and dendritic cells critically influences the development of adaptive immunity.
  • Understanding NK cell biology is vital for developing new immunotherapies against infectious diseases.