NATURAL KILLERS: The story of CYTOTOXIC T-CELLS, VIGILANTE WARRIORS of the immune system

But before we get to the Killers…

Special agent: Natural Killer

\\ DESTRUCTION SPECIALIST

PREFERRED WEAPON: CYTOTOXIC GRANULES

DISPOSITION:TAKE NO PRISONERSPOSSIBLY PSYCHOTIC

History: Homicidal excursions targeting virus infected and cancer cells

STATUS: AT LARGE

Natural Killer

What happens when Natural Killers don’t kill?• Immunity is a balance of destruction

and restraint• Too much willy-nilly death and

destruction and you have autoimmune disease

• Not enough killing (which happens naturally as we age) and you get cancer

• How do we get the killers to behave?

“These cells are living drugs.”

- Carl June

http://www.lls.org/

Thank you for your attention