Importantly, by direct lysis of malignant cells, NK cells also provide tumor antigens for uptake and processing by DCs, which upon maturation and migration into a tumor-draining lymph node can cross-present such antigens to T cells, thereby inducing Th1 polarization of CD4+ T cells and differentiation of CD8+ T cells into tumor-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTLs). The gene discussed is CD8A; the disease is neoplasm.