Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 29, 2026

Purification of Fibroblasts and Schwann Cells from Sensory and Motor Nerves in Vitro
Published on: May 20, 2020
Natural Killer Cells Degenerate Intact Sensory Afferents following Nerve Injury
Alexander J Davies1, Hyoung Woo Kim2, Rafael Gonzalez-Cano3
1Dental Research Institute and Department of Neurobiology and Physiology, School of Dentistry, Seoul National University, Seoul 03080, Republic of Korea; Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK.
Abstract:
Sensory axons degenerate following separation from their cell body, but partial injury to peripheral nerves may leave the integrity of damaged axons preserved. We show that an endogenous ligand for the natural killer (NK) cell receptor NKG2D, Retinoic Acid Early 1 (RAE1), is re-expressed in adult dorsal root ganglion neurons following peripheral nerve injury, triggering selective degeneration of injured axons. Infiltration of cytotoxic NK cells into the sciatic nerve by extravasation occurs within 3 days following crush injury. Using a combination of genetic cell ablation and cytokine-antibody complex stimulation, we show that NK cell function correlates with loss of sensation due to degeneration of injured afferents and reduced incidence of post-injury hypersensitivity. This neuro-immune mechanism of selective NK cell-mediated degeneration of damaged but intact sensory axons complements Wallerian degeneration and suggests the therapeutic potential of modulating NK cell function to resolve painful neuropathy through the clearance of partially damaged nerves.
Related Concept Videos
What is a Sensory System?
What is Natural Selection?
Nature and Nurture
Sensory Modalities
General senses refer to the broad category of sensory information detected by receptors in the body and can be further grouped into somatic and visceral senses. Somatic sensations include touch, pressure, temperature, and pain and are essential for navigating our environment and...
Sensory Memory
Chirality in Nature

