title: Activating natural cytotoxicity receptors of natural killer cells in cancer and infection.
abstract: Natural killer (NK) cells are central players in the vertebrate immune system that rapidly eliminate malignantly transformed or infected cells. The natural cytotoxicity receptors (NCRs) NKp30, NKp44, and NKp46 are important mediators of NK cell cytotoxicity, which trigger an immune response on recognition of cognate cellular and viral ligands. Tumour and viral immune escape strategies targeting these receptor-ligand systems impair NK cell cytotoxicity and promote disease. Therefore, a molecular understanding of the function of the NCRs in immunosurveillance is instrumental to discovering novel access points to combat infections and cancer.
authors: Georg-Speyer-Haus, Institute for Biomedical Research, Paul-Ehrlich-Strasse 42-44, D-60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany. joachim.koch@em.uni-frankfurt.de
authors: Joachim
authors: J
authors: Koch
authors: Alexander
authors: A
authors: Steinle
authors: Carsten
authors: C
authors: Watzl
authors: Ofer
authors: O
authors: Mandelboim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000276:immunology; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D006801:Humans; D057131:Immune Evasion; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D055627:Natural Cytotoxicity Triggering Receptor 1 / Q000276:immunology*; D055629:Natural Cytotoxicity Triggering Receptor 2 / Q000276:immunology*; D055628:Natural Cytotoxicity Triggering Receptor 3 / Q000276:immunology*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology*; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D000956:Antigens, Viral; C112260:NCR1 protein, human; C112837:NCR2 protein, human; C431710:NCR3 protein, human; D055627:Natural Cytotoxicity Triggering Receptor 1; D055629:Natural Cytotoxicity Triggering Receptor 2; D055628:Natural Cytotoxicity Triggering Receptor 3