Mavoungou Elie
Medical Research Unit, Albert Schweitzer Hospital, Lambaréné, Gabon, c/o Institute for Tropical Medicine, Department of Parasitology, University of Tübingen, Wilhelmstrasse 27, 72074, Tübingen, Germany.
Clin Med Res. 2006 Mar;4(1):33-41. doi: 10.3121/cmr.4.1.33.
Natural killer cells derived from pluripotent hematopoietic stem cells are important cells of the immune system that have two main functions: a cytolytic activity and a cytokine-producing capacity. These functions are tightly regulated by numerous activating and inhibitory receptors, including newly discovered receptors that selectively trigger the cytolytic activity in a major histocompatibility complex independent manner. Based on their defining function of spontaneous cytotoxicity without prior immunization, natural killer (NK) cells have been thought to play a critical role in immune surveillance and cancer therapy. New insights into NK cell biology have suggested their major roles in the control of infections, particularly in Plasmodium falciparum infection and in fetal implantation. P. falciparum is the main protozoan parasite responsible for malaria causing 200-300 million clinical cases and killing over 3 million people each year. This review provides an update on NK cell function, ontogeny and biology in order to better understand the role of NK cells in pregnancy in regions where malaria is endemic. Understanding mechanisms of NK cell functions may lead to novel therapeutic strategies for the treatment of human disease, in general, and particularly in the fight against malaria.
源自多能造血干细胞的自然杀伤细胞是免疫系统的重要细胞,具有两项主要功能:细胞溶解活性和产生细胞因子的能力。这些功能受到众多激活受体和抑制受体的严格调控,包括新发现的以主要组织相容性复合体非依赖方式选择性触发细胞溶解活性的受体。基于其无需预先免疫即可自发产生细胞毒性的定义性功能,自然杀伤(NK)细胞被认为在免疫监视和癌症治疗中发挥关键作用。对NK细胞生物学的新见解表明它们在控制感染,特别是在恶性疟原虫感染和胎儿着床方面发挥主要作用。恶性疟原虫是导致疟疾的主要原生动物寄生虫,每年造成2亿至3亿临床病例,导致超过300万人死亡。本综述提供了关于NK细胞功能、个体发生和生物学的最新信息,以便更好地理解NK细胞在疟疾流行地区妊娠中的作用。了解NK细胞功能机制可能会带来治疗人类疾病的新治疗策略,总体而言,特别是在抗击疟疾方面。