Immune effector cell function

Immune effector cell function" refers to the diverse activities carried out by differentiated and activated immune cells—including T cells, B cells, natural killer (NK) cells, macrophages, and others—that directly eliminate pathogens, tumor cells, or otherwise modify the immune response[1][5][6]. These functions include cytotoxicity (killing infected or abnormal cells), cytokine secretion (regulating immune responses), antibody production (by plasma B cells), phagocytosis (by macrophages), and other mechanisms that together make up the effector phase of the immune response[1][5][3][7]. The term describes the actions of multiple immune cell types rather than a single discrete molecular target.

Other names

Effector cell functionImmune effector functionsEffector immune cell function