In article <noemail-42FD4D.23464007072003 at cnews.newsguy.com>, Hobo
<noemail at noemail.com> wrote:
> I've read that cancer cells downregulate MHC expression, often to zero.
> NK cells are programmed to kill cells with zero MHC expression. I've
> read that the cancer cells avoid this by expressing MHC homologs at the
> surface, fooling the NK cells. If the immune system can be fooled so
> easily by MHC homologs, why is it so sensitive to differences in MHC
> composition between native and donated tissue?
Because the whole story in the instance of transplantation is not just a
cut-and-dried thing where a donated tissue expressing MHC phenotype "X" is
placed into the context of recipient tissue expressing MHC phenotype "Y".
A major factor involves donor-derived APCs and/or other donor factors that
are transferred along with the organ or tissue transplanted.
M.H.
