CASU , Beatrice

The NK cells functions are finely tuned by several kinds of inhibitory and activating receptors, whose pattern of expression characterizes different NK subpopulations and varies with the cell activation status. MicroRNAs have an important role in tightly regulating the expression of NK receptors and, analogously, the expression of their ligands...

A large body of data shows that Natural Killer (NK) cells are immune effectors exerting a potent cytolytic activity against tumors and virus infected cells. The discovery and characterization of several inhibitory and activating receptors unveiled most of the mechanisms allowing NK cells to spare healthy cells while selectively attacking...

TGF-β1 is a pleiotropic factor exerting a strong regulatory role in several cell types, including immune cells. In NK cells it profoundly alters the surface expression of crucial activating and chemokine receptors. To understand which soluble signals might better contrast these effects, we cultured human NK cells in the presence of TGF-β1 and...