title: Human NK Cell Diversity in Viral Infection: Ramifications of Ramification.
abstract: Natural killer (NK) cells are a unique lymphocyte lineage with remarkable agility in the rapid destruction of virus-infected cells. They are also the most poorly understood class of lymphocyte. A spectrum of activating and inhibitory receptors at the NK cell surface leads to an unusual and difficult-to-study mechanism of cellular recognition, as well as a very high capacity for diversity at the single-cell level. Here, we review the evidence for the role of NK cells in the earliest stage of human viral infection, and in its prevention. We argue that single-cell diversity is a logical evolutionary adaptation for their position in the immune response and contributes to their ability to kill virus-infected cells. Finally, we look to the future, where emerging single-cell technologies will enable a new generation of rigorous and clinically relevant studies on NK cells accounting for all of their unique and diverse characteristics.
authors.affiliation: Stanford Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine , Stanford, CA , USA.
authors.forename: Dara M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Strauss-Albee
authors.affiliation: Stanford Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA; Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Catherine A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Blish
keywords: lymphocyte diversity; mass cytometry; natural killer cells; single-cell technology; viral susceptibility