Physiopathology of Innate Immunity

Natural killer (NK) cells are characterized by their ability to recognize and eliminate tumor cells and virus-infected cells. In addition, they produce cytokines such as interferon (IFN)-gamma and skew the adaptive immune response towards a Th1/proinflammatory and cytotoxic profile due to the establishment of a reciprocal crosstalk with dendritic cells and macrophages. The understanding of the factors that affect the activation and development of effector functions of NK cells has led to their positioning as forefront runners for the development of immunotherapy strategies in the field of immuno-oncology.