Ready for prime time: NK cell priming by dendritic cells.
Natural killer (NK) cells were long thought to respond directly to infected cells and tumor cells. In this issue of Immunity, Lucas et al. (2007) repeal this view by showing that NK cells acquire functionality through priming by dendritic cells.
Long
Eric O
EO
Laboratory of Immunogenetics, NIAID-NIH, 12441 Parklawn Drive, Rockville, MD 20852, USA. elong@nih.gov
D000818:Animals; D045142:Cross-Priming; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice