'Natural Killer' Cells Keep Immune System In Balance Oct 3, 2009
2, 2009) Researchers from Brown University and McGill University have discovered that the natural killer, or NK cells, help prevent T cells from over-responding when a virus hits ... Natural killer, or NK cells, are part of our innate immune system ... It turns out NK cells are even more important to the body than previously thought. (Science Daily)
Master gene that switches on disease-fighting cells identified by scientists Sep 14, 2009
The researchers have 'knocked out' the gene in question, known as E4bp4, in a mouse model, creating the world's first animal model entirely lacking NK cells, but with all other blood cells and immune cells intact ... Some scientists think that these diseases are caused by malfunctioning NK cells that turn on the body and attack healthy cells, causing disease instead of fighting it ... Clarifying NK cells' role could lead to new ways of treating these conditions. (EurekAlert!)
Hunt For The Blood Test To Determine Melanoma Survival Rates Aug 1, 2009
13, 2009) One subset of immune cells known to contribute to the immune response that targets tumors is the NK cell subset. Although this suggests that NK cell--based therapeutics have anticancer potential. (Science Daily)
Natural Born Killers: How The Body's Frontline Immune Cells Decide Which Cells To Destroy Aug 1, 2009
Over 1,000 NK cells are found in every drop of blood ... On their journey round the human body NK cells regularly latch onto normal non-diseased cells too, before moving off, leaving them unharmed ... Previously, the process by which NK cells made the right decision to kill or not kill another cell was unclear. (Science Daily)
La Jolla Institute unlocks mystery of potentially fatal reaction to smallpox vaccine May 25, 2009
The activity of the NK cells, which are disease fighting cells of the immune system, was significantly lower in the mice that developed eczema vaccinatum than in normal mice that also received the smallpox vaccine. This knowledge opens the door to one day developing therapies that could potentially boost NK cell activity in eczema sufferers ... " The finding was published today in the online version of the Journal of Experimental Medicine in a paper entitled, "Inhibition of NK cell activity by... (EurekAlert!)
Doctors Urge Precaution to Shield Against Swine Flu Apr 29, 2009
NK cells identify and kill any non-self cell, foreign invader or abnormal cell, without prior exposure. Research shows that the strength of NK cells can fluctuate from individual to individual ... People with lower NK cell function are shown to develop more frequent and severe illnesses. (PR Newswire)
Harnessing Immune Cells To Target Skin Cancer Apr 14, 2009
13, 2009) One subset of immune cells known to contribute to the immune response that targets tumors is the NK cell subset. Although this suggests that NK cell based therapeutics have anticancer potential, more information is needed about the interactions between NK cells and human tumor cells if this promise is to be realized ... The team, led by Francesco Colucci and Ennio Carbone, found that human melanoma cell lines derived from lymph node metastases expressed proteins that interacted with... (Science Daily)
Some of your body's cells have a ‘license to kill' Feb 22, 2009
Like some espionage agents, NK cells have a "license to kill," according to Wayne Yokoyama, an immunologist with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute at Washington University in St. Louis ... Although NK cells were discovered more than 30 years ago, they're still not well understood, and they remain an active field of research ... "We remain puzzled about where and when NK cells develop," James Di Santo, the director of the immunology department at the Institut Pasteur in Paris, acknowledged in... (Fresno Bee -- Local)
