INF alpha beta gamma vs. NK cells

[acciddropping]

What are the exact effects of INF-a, INF-b, INF-r on NK cells. I am not clear on how it's presented in FA 13. Is it the case that INF-r activates NK cells and INF-a and b enhances the NK activity?


In one part of the FA, it says NK's activity is enhanced by IL2, IL12, INFa, and INFb.
Then, it says IL-12 activates NK cells.
Then, it says INF-r activates NK cells.

Thanks..

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[NeuroLAX]

In order to cover all the bases of Interferons, it's probably best to take a step back to look at the big picture of the response to a viral infection.

In response to a viral infection, your big guns are CTLs and NK cells. NK cells, while being the only lymphocyte member of the innate immune response, act to assist the CTLs in killing virus-infected cells and respond to similar cytokines. Meanwhile, virus-infected cells secrete IFN-alpha and IFN-beta as a way to tell other cells "psst... I have a virus, prepare yourselves". Since NK cells play a part in ridding the body of virus-infected cells, you could say that NK cells keep an eye out for the clues left by virus-infected cells.

 

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