NK cells. A type of white blood cell that contains granules with enzymes that can kill tumor cells or microbial cells. Also called large granular lymphocytes (LGL).
Specialised T-cells with the continuous task of identifying and eliminating cells recognised as being foreign or non-self.
Innate immune cells that destroy virus-infected and cancerous body cells by cell lysis.
These cells are involved in tumor surveillance. They also kill virus-laden cells.
A type of white blood cell that recognizes and kills certain tumor cells.
A white blood cell which can recognise microorganisms and tumour cells as foreign without any previous exposure to them, and destroy them.
A large granular lymphocyte, a defensive cell of innate immunity, that bonds to cells and lyses them by releasing cytotoxins. Unlike other lymphocytes, these cells do not have B cell or T cell surface markers, and they can be activated without previous antigen exposure. NK cells destroy cells infected with viruses and some types of tumor cells in cultures. They also secrete gamma interferon ( INF y), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFa), and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GMCSF), enhancing the effect of T lymphocytes.
Type of white blood cell, which attacks cells that are dividing abnormally.
Lymphocytic cells of the innate immune system programmed to recognize other cells that are non-self, such as tumor cells and cells infected with viruses, and to release cytotoxic chemicals that lyse these cells.
A sizable lymphocyte with significant cells that operates as a component of the inborn immune system, actively engaging cells that have been infected by viruses and malignant cells.
A distinct category of lymphocyte, a particular kind of white blood cell, possesses the capability to eliminate virus-infected cells and certain varieties of cancer cells. These immune cells are termed natural killer cells, abbreviated as NK cells, and they represent the initial defense line of the immune system against both infected and cancerous cells. Unlike killer T-cells, for instance, NK cells are not categorized as either T lymphocytes or B lymphocytes.