Specificity, Function, and Development of NK Cells

Our understanding of the function of natural killer (NK) cells has dramatically changed in recent years. The discovery of NK receptors specific for MHC class I molecules, and the study of the role of co-stimulatory and adhesion molecules have led to an understanding of how NK cells recognize tumor and virally infected cells that have lost expression of MHC class I molecules or have altered distribution of normal cell surface molecules. Such recognition events lead to intracellular signals which