Natural Killer Cells: Why these Cells are Vital to Our Immune System

A recent video titled, Immune System- Natural Killer Cells shared on Labroots demonstrates the unique and vital biological role that the natural killer cells (NK cells) have on overall health and its intricacies with the human body. The complexity of these cells and their powerful impact on the innate immune system are what make these cells so interesting.

NK cells are a type of cytotoxic lymphocyte its role in immunity is similar to that of cytotoxic T cells in the adaptive immune response. NK cells provide rapid responses to viral-infected cells and respond to tumor formation by releasing their toxins without having to recognize specific antigen before destroying the infected cell. Hence, these cells are called natural killers. Typically,immune cells detect major histocompatibility complex (MHC) on infected cell surfaces, thus triggering cytokine release, causing cell lysis or cell death (apoptosis). NK cells are unique because they can recognize stressed cells in the absence of antibodies or MHC which creates a quicker immune response. Learn more

image above from labroots.com