Journey of Natural Killer Cells and their Role in Liver Diseases

Abstract

Natural Killer (NK) cells are the key lymphocyte subset of the natural immune system that arbitrates antiviral and anticancer responses. In the human body NK cells inhabit in the bone marrow, lymph nodes, tonsils, skin, liver, gut, and lungs. This bibliographic study covers the origins and evolution of these cells. This review of NK cells includes synopsis of their well-known and evolving themes including their development, functions of cytokine production, anticancer cytotoxicity, clearing of viral infections and exhaustion.Within the liver, NK cells are enhanced in lymphocytes and possess distinctive phenotypic characters and useful properties, which contain tumour cytotoxicity and explicit cytokine profiles. NK cells while providing innate immunity in the liver, play important roles in providing protection versus pathogens and tumours utilising their cytotoxicity and cytokine production. Accruing substantiation from the last few decades proposes that NK cells perform a vital role in regulating viral hepatitis and liver tumours. In addition, they contribute to the pathogenesis of liver damage including its inflammation. Understanding the description of hepatic NK cell functions has aided us in better understanding the pathogenesis of diseases of the liver and consequently divulging novel therapeutic goals for treating these illnesses.

Keywords

• alcoholic liver disease
• hepatitis
• hepatocellular carcinoma
• liver transplant