Davood Bahadorian - Immunology Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
Samaneh Mollazadeh - Natural Products and Medicinal Plants Research Center, North Khorasan University of Medical Sciences, Bojnurd, Iran
Hosein Mirazi - Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of New Sciences and Technology, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
Tola Faraj - Department of Basic Sciences, College of Medicine, Hawler Medical University, Erbil, Iraq
Ramiar Kheder - Medical Laboratory Science Department, College of Science, University of Raparin, Rania, Sulaymaniyah, Iraq
Seyed-Alireza Esmaeili - Immunology Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

NK cells are defined as the major components of the immunological network which exerts defense against tumors and viral infections as well as regulation of innate and adaptive immunity, shaped through interaction with other cells like T cells. According to the surface markers, NK cells can be divided into CD۵۶dim NK and CD۵۶bright NK subsets. CD۵۶bright NK cells usually are known as regulatory NK cells. Once the immune system loses its self-tolerance, autoimmune diseases develop. NK cells and their subsets can be altered during autoimmune diseases, indicative of their prominent regulatory roles and even pathological and protective functions in autoimmune disorders. In this regard, activation of CD۵۶bright NK cells can suppress activated autologous CD۴+ T cells and subsequently prevent the initiation of autoimmunity. In this review article, we summarize the roles of regulatory NK cells in autoimmune disease occurrence which needs more research to uncover their exact related mechanism. It seems that targeting NK cells can be a promising therapeutic platform against autoimmune diseases.

Autoimmune disease, CD۵۶bright NK cell, Cytokine, Immunology, Regulatory NK cell