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Activating receptors of Natural Killer cells

Reference	BBS/E/B/00001165
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Dr Geoff Butcher
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	Babraham Institute
Department	Babraham Institute Department
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	483,506
Status	Completed
Type	Institute Project
Start date	01/01/1999
End date	31/12/2004
Duration	72 months

Abstract

Current research in immunology is addressing the very earliest events in the recognition of infections by their hosts long before the responses of conventional T and B lymphocytes (including antibody production) come into play. Natural Killer (NK) cells are a distinct group of lymphocytes which participate in early defence reactions performing functions such as cytotoxic killing of infected host cells and release of mediators that promote or modify the immune response of neighbouring cells. Natural Killer (NK) cells express numerous surface receptors (many still uncharacterised) which either activate or inhibit their functional activity. The system of inhibitory receptors is fairly well understood in outline terms. These receptors recognise major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules and when certain infecting viruses suppress MHC class I expression (as a means of evading cytotoxic T cell killing) the inhibitory signal to the NK cell is reduced and activation of NK killing is made more likely. This is the so-called missing-self model of NK recognition. The system of activating receptors appears to have a more diverse range of ligands, many unknown. This project aims to understand the biological processes that turn on NK cells to kill infected or abnormal host cells.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Closed Committee - Biochemistry & Cell Biology (BCB)
Research Topics	X – not assigned to a current Research Topic
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	X - not in an Initiative
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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