natural killer cell

English

Etymology

The description "natural killer" refers to the fact that they do not require activation to kill cells missing MHC class I "self" markers.

Noun

natural killer cell (plural natural killer cells)

1. (immunology) Any cell that expresses cell surface receptors that deliver signals to either activate or inhibit a response as part of the innate immune system.

   Synonyms: large granular lymphocyte, NK, NK cell

   • 1982, Gustavo Cudkowicz, “Regulation of Natural Cytotoxic Activity”, in Sigurd J. Normann, Ernst Sorkin, editors, Macrophages and Natural Killer Cells, Plenum Press, page 767:

     While such information doesn't assist us in deciding whether natural killer cells derive from a macrophage or T cell lineage, it does tell us that the mouse natural killer cell system is a thymus dependent system.

   • 1984, Meir Kende, Joseph Gainer, Michael A. Chirigos (editors), Chemical Regulation of Immunity in Veterinary Medicine: Proceedings of a Symposium, A. R. Liss, page 138,

     Natural killer cell activity is currently an area of active interest in cellular immunology (Herberman 1981).

   • 1999, Toxicological Profile for Lead, United States Department of Health and Human Services, page 173:

     The effects of lead exposure of varying duration on natural killer cell and T-lymphocyte function were investigated in rats.

Translations

cell that expresses cell surface receptors that deliver signals to either activate or inhibit a response

• Hungarian: természetes ölősejt
• Kurdish:

  Northern Kurdish: kujerexaneya sirûştî f

• Turkish: doğal katil hücre, doğal öldürücü hücre

See also

• cytotoxic T cell (performs an analogous role for the adaptive immune system)