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Frontiers in Natural Killer Cell Immunology
NK cells, which play important roles in homeostasis, surveillance and defense, the three major functions of the immune system, were first observed in 1975, 20 years after the discovery of T and B lymphocytes. Despite almost 40 years passing, our understanding of NK cell immunology in general lags far behind that of T and B lymphocytes. However, over the past 5 years, significant progress has been made in understanding NK cell biology.
In this issue, five reviews highlight the recent progress that has been made in studying the education of memory NK cells in the liver, the roles of NK cells in immune tolerance, the interactions of NK cells with other immune cells and NK cell immunotherapy for tumors.
Focus library
Natural killer cell memory
Silke Paust & Ulrich H von Andrian
Nature Immunology 12, 500–508 (2011) doi:10.1038/ni.2032
Functions of natural killer cells
Eric Vivier, Elena Tomasello, Myriam Baratin, Thierry Walzer & Sophie Ugolini
Nature Immunology 9, 503–510 (2008) doi:10.1038/ni1582
'Unlicensed' natural killer cells dominate the response to cytomegalovirus infection
Mark T Orr, William J Murphy & Lewis L Lanier
Nature Immunology 11, 321–327 (2010) doi:10.1038/ni.1849
Molecular definition of the identity and activation of natural killer cells
Natalie A Bezman, Charles C Kim, Joseph C Sun, Gundula Min-Oo, Deborah W Hendricks, Yosuke Kamimura, J Adam Best, Ananda W Goldrath, Lewis L Lanier & The Immunological Genome Project Consortium
Nature Immunology 13, 1000–1009 (2012) doi:10.1038/ni.2395
Viral evasion of natural killer cells
Jordan S. Orange, Marlys S. Fassett, Louise A. Koopman, Jonathan E. Boyson & Jack L. Strominger
Nature Immunology 3, 1006–1012 (2002) doi:10.1038/ni1102-1006
Transforming growth factor-β controls T helper type 1 cell development through regulation of natural killer cell interferon-γ
Yasmina Laouar, Fayyaz S Sutterwala, Leonid Gorelik & Richard A Flavell
Nature Immunology 6, 600–607 (2005) doi:10.1038/ni1197
Natural killer cell differentiation driven by Tyro3 receptor tyrosine kinases
Anouk Caraux, Qingxian Lu, Nadine Fernandez, Sylvain Riou, James P Di Santo, David H Raulet, Greg Lemke & Claude Roth
Nature Immunology 7, 747–754 (2006) doi:10.1038/ni1353
Natural killer cell activation in mice and men: different triggers for similar weapons?
Francesco Colucci, James P. Di Santo & Paul J. Leibson
Nature Immunology 3, 807–813 (2002) doi:10.1038/ni0902-807
In vivo developmental stages in murine natural killer cell maturation
Sungjin Kim, Koho Iizuka, Hyun-Seok P. Kang, Ayotunde Dokun, Anthony R. French, Suellen Greco & Wayne M. Yokoyama
Nature Immunology 3, 523–528 (2002) doi:10.1038/ni796
Natural killer cell-directed therapies: moving from unexpected results to successful strategies
Magali Terme, Evelyn Ullrich, Nicolas F Delahaye, Nathalie Chaput & Laurence Zitvogel
Nature Immunology 9, 486–494 (2008) doi:10.1038/ni1580
Essential function for SAP family adaptors in the surveillance of hematopoietic cells by natural killer cells
Zhongjun Dong, Mario-Ernesto Cruz-Munoz, Ming-Chao Zhong, Riyan Chen, Sylvain Latour & André Veillette
Nature Immunology 10, 973–980 (2009) doi:10.1038/ni.1763
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