Chapter 13, Problem 2TC

Summary Introduction

To review:

Comparison of the killing mechanism of natural killer and cytotoxic T cells. And, also the recognition mechanism adapted by NK cells and cytotoxic T cells against virus-infected cells in different ways.

Introduction:

Natural killer cells are a crucial part of the innate immune system as they provide an immediate response against viral infections. They play a unique role as they can detect cells which are under stress or attack, as it takes some time by cytokines and MHC to detect the signals and act against them. They are called natural killer cells as they do not require any activation and lack of activation markers. Cytotoxic T cells, on the other hand, are the type of blood cells that perform the same function, which is killing the virus-infected cells.