Massimo Vitale

TL;DR: The discovery of MHC-specific inhibitory receptors in mouse and in human clarified the molecular basis of this important NK cell function, and some of these receptors have now been identified in humans, thus shedding some light on the molecular mechanisms involved in NK cell activation during the process of natural cytotoxicity.

TL;DR: These receptors exert an inhibiting activity on T cell receptor- mediated functions and offer a valuable model to analyze the regulatory mechanisms involved in receptor-mediated cell activation and inactivation.

TL;DR: The surface expression of PVR or Nectin-2 in cell transfectants resulted in DNAM-1–dependent enhancement of NK-mediated lysis of these target cells, and this lysis was inhibited or even virtually abrogated upon mAb-mediated masking of DNam-1 (on NK cells) or PVR and NectIn-2 ligands (on celltransfectants).

TL;DR: CTL, active against tumor cells showing partial HLA loss, may constitute an intermediate line of anti-tumor defense between the CTL, which recognizes highly specific tumor antigens, and the NK cells, which recognize HLA Loss variants.

TL;DR: It is shown that p46 and NKp44 are coupled to the intracytoplasmic transduction machinery via the association with CD3ζ or KARAP/DAP12, respectively; these associated molecules are tyrosine phosphorylated upon NK cell stimulation.