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Related Concept Videos

Cells of the Innate Immune Response01:28

Cells of the Innate Immune Response

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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...
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T Cell Activation and Clonal Selection01:22

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T cells are integral to our adaptive immune system, recognizing and effectively responding to foreign antigens. T cell activation and clonal selection are pivotal in orchestrating this immune response. This article elucidates these mechanisms, detailing the roles of cluster of differentiation (CD) markers, major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules, costimulatory signals, and the process of clonal selection.
Naive T cells that have not yet encountered an antigen express two primary CD...
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Immune Response Against Viral Pathogens01:29

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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.
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Cells of the Adaptive Immune Response01:23

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The T and B lymphocytes of the adaptive immune system develop from common lymphoid progenitor cells in the bone marrow. These progenitors give rise to precursors that eventually develop into both T and B lymphocytes. As these precursors mature, they gain the ability to detect and respond to foreign antigens in the body, a process known as immunocompetence. Additionally, these precursors acquire self-tolerance, a process that ensures they do not react to self-antigens. This intricate system...
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Cytotoxic T Cells-mediated Immune Response01:27

Cytotoxic T Cells-mediated Immune Response

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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...
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Immune Surveillance by NK Cells and Phagocytes01:25

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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.
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Related Experiment Video

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Generation of Natural Killer Cells from Human Expanded Potential Stem Cells
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Generation of Natural Killer Cells from Human Expanded Potential Stem Cells

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Activated NKT cells imprint NK-cell differentiation, functionality and education.

Peggy Riese1, Stephanie Trittel1,2, Tobias May3

  • 1Department of Vaccinology and Applied Microbiology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany.

European Journal of Immunology
|March 27, 2015
PubMed
Summary

Natural killer (NK) cells are key to innate immunity. NKT cell activation enhances NK cell functionality, improving immune responses and viral control, offering new avenues for immune intervention.

Keywords:
NK-cell differentiationNK-cell educationNKT cellsmCMVαGalCerMPEG

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Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Cellular Biology
  • Innate Immune System

Background:

  • Natural killer (NK) cells are crucial for innate immunity, with their function influenced by differentiation and education.
  • Understanding cellular interactions, particularly the cross-talk between NK cells and Natural Killer T (NKT) cells, is vital for immune intervention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effects of NKT cell activation on NK cell biology and functionality.
  • To elucidate the role of the NKT-NK cell axis in immune responses, particularly during viral infections.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of NK cell differentiation and education status following NKT cell activation.
  • Assessment of NK cell degranulation activity and interferon-gamma (IFNγ) production.
  • Evaluation of NK cell function in a murine cytomegalovirus (mCMV) infection model.

Main Results:

  • NKT cell activation promotes the generation of highly functional CD27(high) NK cells.
  • Enhanced degranulation and IFNγ production were observed in educated NK cells post-NKT activation.
  • NKT cell stimulation improved the generation of functional educated and uneducated NK cells, contributing to viral control in vivo.

Conclusions:

  • NKT cells significantly enhance NK cell functionality, impacting both educated and uneducated subsets.
  • The NKT-NK cell axis plays a critical role in antiviral immunity.
  • These findings provide insights for manipulating NK cell activity in clinical settings.