BACKGROUND Mu opioid agonists suppress natural killer (NK) cell activity in animal models. Studies in human volunteers, however, have yielded conflicting results, with morphine suppressing and fentanyl increasing NK cell activity. This study evaluated the effect of a constant 8-h infusion of remifentanil on NK cell number and function in human volunteers. METHODS After IRB approval and inform...

Cell lines with natural killer (NK) activity grown from native spleen cells cultured in medium conditioned by spleen cells proliferating in the presence of concanavalin A (Con A) were characterized. One NK cell line was cloned and assayed on several human and mouse NK-sensitive targets to analyze whether target specificities segregate upon cloning. Results showed that NK clones display target s...

Natural killer (NK) cells, as part of the innate immune system, play a key role in host defense against viral infections. Recent advances have indicated that NK cell activation and function are regulated by the interplay between inhibitory and activating signals. Thus, a better understanding of mechanisms responsible for NK cell activation and function in the control of viral infections will he...

Natural killer (NK) cells play an important role in the innate immune response against cancer, in particular in the elimination of tumor metastases and small tumors. NK cell-mediated control of large solid tumors is usually not efficient, although tumors often express high amounts of activating ligands and low levels of inhibitory ligands, such as MHC class I. Thus, we assume that these tumors ...

Natural killer (NK) cells kill virus-infected or cancer cells through the release of cytotoxic granules into a tight intercellular contact. NK cell populations comprise individual cells with varying sensitivity to distinct input signals, leading to disparate responses. To resolve this NK cell heterogeneity, we have designed a novel assay based on ultrasound-assisted cell-cell aggregation in a m...

Abstract T-cell lymphomas are rare neoplasms that have complex pathology. The multiparameter approach has been recommended by World Health Organization (WHO) for the classification of taking into account morphology, immunophenotype, genetics, and clinical features. This also includes division established on possible cell-of-origin (COO) from T regulatory or T-follicular helper (TFH) cells. rece...

Natural killer (NK) cells are essential components of the innate immune system and play a critical role in host immunity against cancer. Recent progress in our understanding of NK cell immunobiology has paved the way for novel NK cell-based therapeutic strategies for the treatment of cancer. In this review, we will focus on recent advances in the field of NK cell immunotherapy, including augmen...

Natural killer (NK) cells represent a first line of defense against pathogens and tumor cells. The activation of NK cells is regulated by the integration of signals deriving from activating and inhibitory receptors expressed on their surface. However, different NK cells respond differently to the same stimulus, be it target cells or agents that crosslink activating receptors. The processes that...

Objective: Natural Killer (NK) cells are classified into different phenotypes according to the expression of the surface markers CD56 and CD16. Each NK cell phenotype has a role in the immune response through cytotoxic activity or cytokine production. Reduced NK cell cytotoxic activity is a consistent finding in patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) and inves...

Human natwral killer cells (NK) require accessory cell-derived contact and soluble factors for maximal expansion. However, it is unclear whether increased recruitment of clonogenic NK, increased proliferation on a per cell basis, or a combination of both is responsible for the increased expansion. We show that expansion of both CD56+d'm and CD56+""gM NK from normal donors is increased in the p...