Natural Killer (NK) Cell Assays

In vitro natural killer (NK) cell assays support the study of innate immune responses against virally infected cells and tumors. These assays evaluate NK-cell activation, cytotoxicity and cytokine production, helping researchers investigate mechanisms of action and assess the effects of therapeutic agents during immunotherapy and cancer-treatment development. NK-cell assays can also support disease-mechanism research and personalized medicine by enabling biomarker discovery and analysis of individual immune profiles.

NK Cell Isolation and Identification

NK cells are selectively isolated from mixed cell populations and their phenotype is verified using surface markers. Flow cytometry is used to identify CD3-negative (CD3−) cells to exclude T cells and CD56-positive (CD56+) cells to confirm NK-cell identity. CD16 status, which may be positive or negative (CD16+/−), further distinguishes NK-cell subsets according to cytotoxic potential and receptor expression.

NK Cell Proliferation and Cytokine Release Assays

These assays evaluate NK-cell expansion and functional capacity under defined conditions. Key effector molecules, including interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), granzyme B and perforin, can be measured to characterize cytotoxic activity. Degranulation is also assessed to determine the ability of activated NK cells to release cytotoxic granules.

NK Cell Tumor Killing and ADCC Assays

We provide NK-cell tumor-killing and Antibody-Dependent Cellular Cytotoxicity (ADCC) assays to evaluate NK-cell-mediated elimination of cancer cells under defined experimental conditions. Both 2D and 3D assay formats are available to model different tissue environments, using technologies such as Incucyte for real-time imaging and flow cytometry for detailed cellular analysis. Assays can be configured to assess ADCC-dependent and ADCC-independent mechanisms of NK-cell cytotoxicity.