AUTHOR=Strauss-Albee Dara M. , Blish Catherine A. 

TITLE=Human NK Cell Diversity in Viral Infection: Ramifications of Ramification

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Immunology

VOLUME=Volume 7 - 2016

YEAR=2016

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2016.00066

DOI=10.3389/fimmu.2016.00066

ISSN=1664-3224

ABSTRACT=Natural killer (NK) cells are a unique lymphocyte lineage with remarkable agility in the rapid destruction of virus-infected cells. They are also the most poorly understood class of lymphocyte. A spectrum of activating and inhibitory receptors at the NK cell surface leads to an unusual and difficult-to-study mechanism of cellular recognition, as well as a very high capacity for diversity at the single-cell level. Here, we review the evidence for the role of NK cells in the earliest stages of human viral infection and prevention. We argue that single-cell diversity is a logical evolutionary adaptation for their position in the immune response, and contributes to their ability to kill virus-infected cells. Finally, we look to the future, where emerging single-cell technologies will enable a new generation of rigorous and clinically relevant studies of NK cells accounting for all of their unique and diverse characteristics.