自然杀伤（NK）细胞通常被认为是先天免疫的不确定部分。然而，在 NK 细胞的特定子集中，最近的数据表明它们在免疫监视和反应中的“职责”得到了扩展，在持久性和细胞毒性方面具有适应性免疫的特征。这些细胞被称为适应性或记忆样 NK 细胞，其中人类巨细胞病毒 (HCMV) 感染已被证明可驱动适应性 NKG2C NK 细胞的扩增。 HCMV 是一种普遍存在的病原体，其流行情况因各国社会经济状况而异。适应性 NK 细胞亚群的特征通常是 NKG2C、CD16 和 CD2 表达上调，以及 NKG2A、FCεRγ 和杀伤性免疫球蛋白样受体 (KIR) 表达受限，尽管这些表型在不同疾病组中可能有所不同。这些受体分布的重新配置与表观遗传因素有关。因此，本综述试图评估报道 HCMV 感染后适应性或记忆样 NK 细胞与实体癌和血液恶性肿瘤相关标记物的文献。分离并进行离体修饰的适应性 NK 细胞有可能增强抗肿瘤反应，这可能是过继性免疫疗法的一种有前景的策略。© 2024 作者。

Natural Killer (NK) cells are conventionally thought to be an indefinite part of innate immunity. However, in a specific subset of NK cells, recent data signify an extension of their "duties" in immune surveillance and response, having characteristics of adaptive immunity, in terms of persistence and cytotoxicity. These cells are known as the adaptive or memory-like NK cells, where human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection has been shown to drive the expansion of adaptive NKG2C+ NK cells. HCMV is a ubiquitous pathogen whose prevalence differs worldwide with respect to the socioeconomic status of countries. The adaptive NK cell subpopulation is often characterized by the upregulated expression of NKG2C, CD16, and CD2, and restricted expression of NKG2A, FCεRγ and killer immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR), although these phenotypes may differ in different disease groups. The reconfiguration of these receptor distributions has been linked to epigenetic factors. Hence, this review attempts to appraise literature reporting markers associated with adaptive or memory-like NK cells post-HCMV infection, in relation to solid cancers and hematological malignancies. Adaptive NK cells, isolated and subjected to ex vivo modifications, have the potential to enhance anti-tumor response which can be a promising strategy for adoptive immunotherapy.© 2024 The Authors.