Natural Cytotoxicity Triggering Receptor 1 (NCR1), also known as NKp46. is a key activating receptor predominantly expressed on natural killer (NK) cells, a type of cytotoxic lymphocyte critical in innate immunity. As a member of the NCR family, NCR1 plays a pivotal role in recognizing and eliminating infected or malignant cells. Structurally, it belongs to the immunoglobulin superfamily, featuring three extracellular immunoglobulin-like domains that mediate ligand binding. NCR1 interacts with viral hemagglutinins and other pathogen- or stress-induced ligands on target cells, triggering cytotoxic granule release and cytokine production to eliminate threats.
NCR1 antibodies are essential tools for studying NK cell biology, immune responses, and disease mechanisms. In research, they are used to block or stimulate NCR1 activity, enabling functional studies of NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity, immune evasion strategies in pathogens, and tumor microenvironments. Clinically, NCR1 antibodies have potential applications in immunotherapy, such as enhancing NK cell targeting in cancer or chronic infections. Additionally, altered NCR1 expression levels, detected via these antibodies, serve as biomarkers in conditions like autoimmune diseases, leukemia, and viral infections (e.g., COVID-19). The development of therapeutic NCR1-targeted antibodies, including bispecific formats, is an emerging area in precision oncology and antiviral therapies.