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SUMMARY:Natural Killer cells and their function against virus-infected cel
 ls - Kattria van der Ploeg (University of Cambridge)
DTSTART:20141202T203000Z
DTEND:20141202T210000Z
UID:TALK54946@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Paulina Rowicka
DESCRIPTION:Natural killer (NK) cells large granular lymphocytes that play
  an important role in our immune system. They are known to recognize and k
 ill tumour and virus-infected cells. Historically\, they were named ‘nat
 ural killer’ because they have the ability to kill a target cell ‘natu
 rally’\, meaning that they kill in a spontaneous ‘non-specific’ mann
 er without pre-conditioning. For this reason and others\, unlike T and B c
 ells\, NK cells are classified as innate immune cells. \nOver the past two
  decades\, our knowledge of NK cells has substantially improved. We have l
 earned that NK cells are more related to T cells in comparison with other 
 leukocytes in the innate immune system\, meaning that NK cells have adapti
 ve features and were able to recognize and kill a target cell specifically
 . Although our knowledge of NK cells has increased significantly\, a lot a
 bout NK cells is yet to be discovered. In particular\, the complete mechan
 ism behind NK cell activation\, which leads to killing of tumour or virus-
 infected cells\, remains undefined. \nIn my PhD project I study a group of
  activating receptors called Killer Immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs). 
 Most ligands (a protein on the target cell that the receptor recognises) o
 f activating KIRs are unknown. By using human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infec
 ted cell as an infection model\, I have potentially found a ligand for an 
 activating KIR on these infected cells. This finding would represent a ste
 pping stone in unravelling the complete mechanism behind NK cell activatio
 n. In this talk I will discuss my research and I will show you how I am tr
 ying to decipher this potential ligand. \n
LOCATION:Senior Parlour\, Gonville &amp\; Caius College
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