Biomaterial Database

Natural killer cells and natural killer T cells. 2000

W E Seaman

Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and University of California, San Francisco, USA.

NK cells are important in protecting against viral infections, and they may regulate the immune response. They are activated by hematopoietic blasts and pose a barrier to bone marrow transplantation. They are also abundant in the pregnant uterine decidua, although their role there is unknown. NK cells are normally inhibited from responding to host cells by inhibitory receptors that recognize self class I MHC antigens. There is evidence that NK cells may be important in the regulation of autoimmunity, but there is even stronger evidence that NKT cells regulate autoimmunity. The mechanisms by which these cells are activated and by which they regulate other cells are now being understood at the molecular level.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007109	Immunity	Nonsusceptibility to the invasive or pathogenic effects of foreign microorganisms or to the toxic effect of antigenic substances.	Immune Process,Immune Response,Immune Processes,Immune Responses,Process, Immune,Response, Immune
D007694	Killer Cells, Natural	Bone marrow-derived lymphocytes that possess cytotoxic properties, classically directed against transformed and virus-infected cells. Unlike T CELLS; and B CELLS; NK CELLS are not antigen specific. The cytotoxicity of natural killer cells is determined by the collective signaling of an array of inhibitory and stimulatory CELL SURFACE RECEPTORS. A subset of T-LYMPHOCYTES referred to as NATURAL KILLER T CELLS shares some of the properties of this cell type.	NK Cells,Natural Killer Cells,Cell, NK,Cell, Natural Killer,Cells, NK,Cells, Natural Killer,Killer Cell, Natural,NK Cell,Natural Killer Cell
D011247	Pregnancy	The status during which female mammals carry their developing young (EMBRYOS or FETUSES) in utero before birth, beginning from FERTILIZATION to BIRTH.	Gestation,Pregnancies
D005260	Female		Females
D006086	Graft vs Host Disease	The clinical entity characterized by anorexia, diarrhea, loss of hair, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, growth retardation, and eventual death brought about by the GRAFT VS HOST REACTION.	Graft-Versus-Host Disease,Homologous Wasting Disease,Runt Disease,Graft-vs-Host Disease,Disease, Graft-Versus-Host,Disease, Graft-vs-Host,Disease, Homologous Wasting,Disease, Runt,Diseases, Graft-Versus-Host,Diseases, Graft-vs-Host,Graft Versus Host Disease,Graft-Versus-Host Diseases,Graft-vs-Host Diseases
D006410	Hematopoiesis	The development and formation of various types of BLOOD CELLS. Hematopoiesis can take place in the BONE MARROW (medullary) or outside the bone marrow (HEMATOPOIESIS, EXTRAMEDULLARY).	Hematopoiesis, Medullary,Haematopoiesis,Medullary Hematopoiesis
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D013602	T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic	Immunized T-lymphocytes which can directly destroy appropriate target cells. These cytotoxic lymphocytes may be generated in vitro in mixed lymphocyte cultures (MLC), in vivo during a graft-versus-host (GVH) reaction, or after immunization with an allograft, tumor cell or virally transformed or chemically modified target cell. The lytic phenomenon is sometimes referred to as cell-mediated lympholysis (CML). These CD8-positive cells are distinct from NATURAL KILLER CELLS and NATURAL KILLER T-CELLS. There are two effector phenotypes: TC1 and TC2.	Cell-Mediated Lympholytic Cells,Cytotoxic T Cells,Cytotoxic T Lymphocyte,Cytotoxic T-Lymphocytes,TC1 Cell,TC1 Cells,TC2 Cell,TC2 Cells,Cell Mediated Lympholytic Cells,Cell, Cell-Mediated Lympholytic,Cell, TC1,Cell, TC2,Cell-Mediated Lympholytic Cell,Cytotoxic T Cell,Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes,Cytotoxic T-Lymphocyte,Lymphocyte, Cytotoxic T,Lympholytic Cell, Cell-Mediated,Lympholytic Cells, Cell-Mediated,T Cell, Cytotoxic,T Lymphocyte, Cytotoxic,T Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic,T-Lymphocyte, Cytotoxic
D015395	Histocompatibility Antigens Class I	Membrane glycoproteins consisting of an alpha subunit and a BETA 2-MICROGLOBULIN beta subunit. In humans, highly polymorphic genes on CHROMOSOME 6 encode the alpha subunits of class I antigens and play an important role in determining the serological specificity of the surface antigen. Class I antigens are found on most nucleated cells and are generally detected by their reactivity with alloantisera. These antigens are recognized during GRAFT REJECTION and restrict cell-mediated lysis of virus-infected cells.	Class I Antigen,Class I Antigens,Class I Histocompatibility Antigen,Class I MHC Protein,Class I Major Histocompatibility Antigen,MHC Class I Molecule,MHC-I Peptide,Class I Histocompatibility Antigens,Class I Human Antigens,Class I MHC Proteins,Class I Major Histocompatibility Antigens,Class I Major Histocompatibility Molecules,Human Class I Antigens,MHC Class I Molecules,MHC-I Molecules,MHC-I Peptides,Antigen, Class I,Antigens, Class I,I Antigen, Class,MHC I Molecules,MHC I Peptide,MHC I Peptides,Molecules, MHC-I,Peptide, MHC-I,Peptides, MHC-I