natural killer cell

noun

: a large granular lymphocyte capable especially of destroying tumor cells or virally-infected cells without prior exposure to the target cell and without having it presented with or marked by a histocompatibility antigen

called also NK cell

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

Some of these therapies, such as natural killer cell programs, focus on equipping a patient’s own immune system to identify and destroy infected cells. —Natallie Rocha, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Jan. 2023

These alleles, of which several encode unique or strong ligands for natural killer cell receptors, now represent more than half the HLA alleles of modern Eurasians and also appear to have been later introduced into Africans. —Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 26 Aug. 2011

Evergreen trees are great producers of phytoncide, a chemical that increases natural killer cell activity, Hall said. —Megan Marples, CNN, 8 Dec. 2021

Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN): Formerly called natural killer cell leukemia/lymphoma, per the LLS, BPDCN is a rare combination of leukemia and lymphoma. —Barbara Brody, Health.com, 30 Sep. 2021

That's because touching increases the natural killer cells that help us fight off illnesses, said Tiffany Field, director of the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine. —Lz Granderson, ajc, 16 Apr. 2020

Specifically, exercise helps to recruit highly specialized immune cells—such as natural killer cells and T cells—find pathogens (like viruses) and wipe them out. —Mallory Creveling, Health.com, 16 Apr. 2020

March 26, 2020 That’s because touching increases the natural killer cells that help us fight off illnesses, said Tiffany Field, director of the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine. —Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2020

The innate immune system, composed of white blood cells such as macrophages, natural killer cells and neutrophils, was supposed to have no such memory. —Jop De Vrieze, Science | AAAS, 23 Mar. 2020

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Word History

First Known Use

1975, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

natural killer cell

noun

: a large granular lymphocyte capable especially of destroying tumor cells or virally infected cells without prior exposure to the target cell and without having it presented with or marked by a histocompatibility antigen

called also NK cell