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Updated: Apr 22, 2026

Measurement of Natural Killer Cell-Mediated Cytotoxicity and Migration in the Context of Hepatic Tumor Cells
Published on: February 22, 2020
Distinct integrin-dependent signals define requirements for lytic granule convergence and polarization in natural
Hsiang-Ting Hsu1, Jordan S Orange2
1Center for Human Immunobiology, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA. Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
Abstract:
Lytic granules in natural killer (NK) cells represent a dangerous cargo that is targeted for secretion to destroy diseased cells. The appropriate management of these organelles enables the mounting of a precise and valuable host defense. The process of NK cell adhesion to a target cell through engagement of the integrin LFA-1 (lymphocyte function-associated antigen 1) promotes lytic granule organization through complex cellular mechanics and a signaling pathway characterized by Zhang et al. in this issue of Science Signaling. A set of signaling molecules was defined for their ability to promote the polarization of NK cell lytic granules and the microtubule organizing center (MTOC) toward the interface with a target cell. A subset of these signaling molecules was also required for the convergence of lytic granules on the MTOC.
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