Editing Natural killer cell (section)

===NK cell evasion by tumor cells===
By shedding decoy [[NKG2D]] soluble ligands, tumor cells may avoid immune responses.  These soluble NKG2D ligands bind to NK cell NKG2D receptors, activating a false NK response and consequently creating competition for the receptor site.<ref name=Vivier2011/>  This method of evasion occurs in [[prostate cancer]].  In addition, prostate cancer tumors can evade CD8 cell recognition due to their ability to downregulate expression of MHC class 1 molecules. This example of immune evasion actually highlights NK cells' importance in tumor surveillance and response, as CD8 cells can consequently only act on tumor cells in response to NK-initiated cytokine production (adaptive immune response).<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = O'Leary JG, Goodarzi M, Drayton DL, von Andrian UH | title = T cell- and B cell-independent adaptive immunity mediated by natural killer cells | journal = Nature Immunology | volume = 7 | issue = 5 | pages = 507–516 | date = May 2006 | pmid = 16617337 | doi = 10.1038/ni1332 | s2cid = 1459858 }}</ref>