Natural Killer (NK) cells are a type of lymphocyte in the immune system that play a critical role in identifying and destroying abnormal cells, such as virus-infected or cancerous cells, without prior sensitization. They are a key component of innate immunity.

NK Cell Treatment Overview

NK cell-based therapies leverage their natural ability to target and kill harmful cells. These treatments have gained significant attention in recent years for their potential in treating cancer, infections, and autoimmune diseases.

• NK cells can discriminate between normal cells and cells that have lost MHC class I (MHC-I) molecule expression as a result of tumor transformation.

• This function is the outcome of the capacity of inhibitory NK receptors to block cytotoxicity upon interaction with their MHC-I ligands expressed on target cells.

NK cells are best known for killing virally infected cells, and detecting and controlling early signs of cancer.

• Ability to kill tumour cells without any priming or prior activation (in contrast to cytotoxic T cells, which need priming by antigen presenting cells).
• NK cells secrete cytokines such as IFNγ and TNFα, which act on other immune cells like Macrophage and Dendritic cells to enhance the immune response.
• “ON” and“OFF” switches