Cellular cytotoxicity, the ability to kill other cells, is an important effector mechanism of the
immune system to combat viral infections and cancer. Cytotoxic T cells and natural killer …

A defining property of cytotoxic lymphocytes is their expression and regulated secretion of
potent toxins, including the pore-forming protein perforin and serine protease granzymes …

Lethal hit delivery by cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) towards B lymphoma cells occurs as a
binary,“yes/no” process. In non-hematologic solid tumors, however, CTL often fail to kill …

Among the caspases that cause regulated cell death, a unique function for caspase-7 has
remained elusive. Caspase-3 performs apoptosis, whereas caspase-7 is typically …

Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) and natural killer cells kill virus-infected and tumor cells
through the polarized release of perforin and granzymes. Perforin is a pore-forming toxin …

Pore-forming toxins (PFTs) are virulence factors produced by many pathogenic bacteria and
have long fascinated structural biologists, microbiologists and immunologists. Interestingly …

Gasdermins mediate inflammatory cell death after cleavage by caspases or other, unknown
enzymes. The cleaved N-terminal fragments bind to acidic membrane lipids to form pores …

Maintenance of plasma membrane integrity is essential for normal cell viability and function.
Thus, robust membrane repair mechanisms have evolved to counteract the eminent threat of …

Leukocytes can completely reorganize their cytoskeletal architecture within minutes. This
structural plasticity, which facilitates their migration and communicative function, also …

The immunological synapse formed between a cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) and an infected
or transformed target cell is a physically active structure capable of exerting mechanical …