Immune system: 'Natural killers' have a memory too

January 11, 2009

US scientists have discovered that a component of the immune system that was previously deemed a blunt weapon against microbes turns out to be rather sophisticated with a memory of past invaders.

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• phystic - Jan 11, 2009
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  quite the finding IMO.
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• el_gramador - Jan 11, 2009
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  I agree. Of course what it also means is if the aids is ever defeated in a person they need simply transfer their NK cells and the virus to another host. Then said NK cells will proliferate and destroy said virus. If that one person is infected with multiple strains over time, and different viruses, and they survive. That means we have the potential to survive what they did. Of course it could also mean that certain NK cells are innate and have slight variations in form and receptors that allow them to survive certain infections provided enough non-survivors are weeded out to make the survivors obvious. Of course that is entirely unethical to actually do, so little point in actually doing so.
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• Doughboy - Jan 12, 2009
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  Well, I guess new textbook for immunology have to come now. NK cells are borderline bewteen actice and inactive. It be interesting to see more research on this.
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