Furthermore, NKG2D ligands may have a wider role than stress sensors, contributing to the homeostatic control of the immune system, since a study by La Scaleia and colleagues has shown that NKG2D ligands, namely MICA/B and ULBP1–2, are upregulated not only on the epithelium of gut but also on the immune infiltrate in IBD lesions (38). Here, KLRK1 is linked to inflammatory bowel disease.