Natural killer cell cytotoxic pathway

The "Natural killer cell cytotoxic pathway" does not refer to a single molecule, protein, or traditional drug target such as a receptor, enzyme, or transporter, but rather to a molecular pathway and cytotoxic process mediated by natural killer (NK) cells. NK cells are innate lymphoid cells responsible for recognizing and eliminating infected or malignant cells. Their cytotoxic activity is mediated through several mechanisms: - Directed release of lytic granules containing perforin and granzymes that induce apoptosis in the target cell[1][3][5][6][9]. - Death receptor-mediated apoptosis, such as through the interaction of Fas ligand (on NK cells) with Fas receptor (CD95) on target cells, or TRAIL on NK cells with TRAIL-R on targets, activating caspase cascades that lead to cell death[1][2][5]. - Antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) via CD16 (FcγRIII) that enables NK cells to kill antibody-coated cells[6]. The pathway as a whole plays a critical biological role in immune surveillance, anti-viral and anti-tumor defense. Dysregulation is implicated in various diseases, but the “pathway” itself is not a single direct therapeutic target—interventions usually target upstream receptors or downstream effector molecules. This entry is therefore considered incorrect as a molecular target nomination. The pathway should instead be decomposed into its molecular effectors (for example, "Perforin", "Granzyme B", "Fc gamma receptor III", "CD95/Fas receptor", or "TRAIL receptor") for therapeutic targeting or structured assessment purposes.

Other names

Natural killer cell-mediated cytotoxicityNK cell cytotoxicityNK cytotoxic pathway