NK cells in immunotolerant organs

Abstract

Organs such as the liver, uterus and lung possess hallmark immunotolerant features, making these organs important for sustaining self-homeostasis. These organs contain a relatively large amount of negative regulatory immune cells, which are believed to take part in the regulation of immune responses. Because natural killer cells constitute a large proportion of all lymphocytes in these organs, increasing attention has been given to the roles that these cells play in maintaining immunotolerance. Here, we review the distribution, differentiation, phenotypic features and functional features of natural killer cells in these immunotolerant organs, in addition to the influence of local microenvironments on these cells and how these factors contribute to organ-specific diseases.