Dissecting apoptosis and IL-15 dependent homeostasis pathways of natural killer (NK) cells

我们将研究细胞因子IL-15如何调节自然杀伤（NK）细胞的稳态。NK细胞对于针对入侵病毒或细菌的免疫应答或在检测到转化细胞时至关重要。NK细胞被激发以攻击感染或转化的细胞，并通过直接相互作用或通过可溶性信号被快速激活。了解NK细胞如何发育以及它们的数量和功能如何控制对于理解传染病免疫学和开发更好的免疫疗法至关重要。

We will investigate how the cytokine IL-15 regulates the homeostasis of natural killer (NK) cells. NK cells are critical for immune responses against invading viruses or bacteria or upon detection of transformed cells. NK cells are primed to attack infected or transformed cells and are rapidly activated by direct interaction or by soluble signals. Knowledge of how NK cells development and how their numbers and function are controlled is paramount to understanding infectious disease immunology and developing better immuno-therapies.