Abstract:Natural Killer (NK) cells are an important component of the innate immune system, capable of providing a fast and effective response against virally infected cells. NK cells are mainly characterized by their cytotoxic function and their ability to secrete cytokines. It has been shown that infant NK cells have decreased cytotoxicity and cytokine-secreting function, suggesting hyporesponsiveness of NK cells during the first year of life. Because NK cell activation is dependent on cytokine stimulation, we hypothe… Show more
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