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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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Cytotoxic T Cells-mediated Immune Response01:27

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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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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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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...
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Development of Immunocompetence01:22

Development of Immunocompetence

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The initiation of cell-mediated immunity can be observed as early as the third month of fetal growth, with active antibody-mediated immunity following approximately one month later.
The initial cells that migrate from the fetal thymus settle within the skin and epithelial tissues lining the mouth, digestive tract, and in females, the uterus and vagina. These cells, including skin-based dendritic cells, serve as antigen-presenting cells, playing a key role in T cell activation.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 4, 2026

Isolation of Uterine Innate Lymphoid Cells for Analysis by Flow Cytometry
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Pregnancy-Induced Alterations in NK Cell Phenotype and Function.

Mathieu Le Gars1,2, Christof Seiler3, Alexander W Kay4

  • 1Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, United States.

Frontiers in Immunology
|November 12, 2019
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Pregnancy enhances natural killer (NK) cell responses to infections and tumors. Pregnant women show increased NK cell activation and cytokine production, crucial for immune defense during gestation.

Keywords:
NK cellsNK repertoirecancer cellsinfluenza viruspregnancy

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Last Updated: Jan 4, 2026

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Assessment of Maternal Vascular Remodeling During Pregnancy in the Mouse Uterus
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Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Reproductive Biology
  • Virology

Background:

  • Pregnant women face higher risks from influenza A virus infections.
  • Pregnancy alters immune cell function, impacting susceptibility to infections.
  • Natural killer (NK) cells play a role in immune responses during pregnancy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate NK cell subset function (CD56dim and CD56bright) during pregnancy.
  • To understand how NK cells respond to virus-infected and tumor cells in pregnant women.
  • To identify molecular mechanisms underlying NK cell changes in pregnancy.

Main Methods:

  • Assessed NK cell responses to infected and tumor cells.
  • Utilized mass cytometry to profile NK cell subsets from pregnant and non-pregnant women.
  • Measured degranulation markers, IFN-γ production, and cell surface marker expression.

Main Results:

  • NK cells from pregnant women showed enhanced functional responses to infected and tumor cells.
  • Increased expression of activation markers (CD38, NKp46) and IFN-γ production observed in pregnant NK cells.
  • Diminished expression of CXCR3 chemokine receptor noted in NK cells during pregnancy.

Conclusions:

  • Pregnancy induces significant functional and phenotypic shifts in NK cells.
  • These NK cell alterations enhance immune responses against infections and tumors during pregnancy.
  • Understanding these changes is vital for managing maternal health and immune challenges.