Natural killer cells

The roles of chicken natural killer (NK) cells have been extensively reviewed elsewhere. NK cells represent a third lymphoid lineage which shares many features with cytotoxic T lymphocytes. Morphologically, chicken NK cells have been characterized as large lymphocytes with electron-dense granula. In contrast to the development of B and T cells, NK cell development is thymus-independent. © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.