Viral evasion of NK-cell activation

Viruses, such as human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), have developed mechanisms to evade recognition by, and activation of, natural killer (NK) cells, which are cells that provide crucial innate immune defense. Such mechanisms help viruses persist in the human host and attain a state of chronic infection. A recent report documents an antagonistic effect of the main HCMV tegument protein, pp65, on NKp30, a natural cytotoxicity-inducing receptor expressed uniquely on NK cells.