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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 24, 2026

A Flow Cytometry-Based Cytotoxicity Assay for the Assessment of Human NK Cell Activity

A Flow Cytometry-Based Cytotoxicity Assay for the Assessment of Human NK Cell Activity

Published on: August 9, 2017

A cell-based screening assay for Natural Killer cell activity.

W Marty Blom¹, Wim G L van Nielen, Els M de Groene

¹Unilever Research Vlaardingen, Unilever Food and Health Research Institute, Olivier van Noortlaan 120, 3133AT Vlaardingen, The Netherlands.

International Immunopharmacology

|March 19, 2009

Summary

A new assay effectively screens compounds that modulate Natural Killer (NK) cell activity. This robust method identifies promising natural compounds for potential therapeutic use against viruses and tumors.

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Last Updated: Jun 24, 2026

A Flow Cytometry-Based Cytotoxicity Assay for the Assessment of Human NK Cell Activity

A Flow Cytometry-Based Cytotoxicity Assay for the Assessment of Human NK Cell Activity

Published on: August 9, 2017

Flow Cytometry-based Assay for the Monitoring of NK Cell Functions

Flow Cytometry-based Assay for the Monitoring of NK Cell Functions

Published on: October 30, 2016

Measurement of Natural Killer Cell-Mediated Cytotoxicity and Migration in the Context of Hepatic Tumor Cells

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Published on: February 22, 2020

Area of Science:

Immunology
Cell Biology
Drug Discovery

Background:

Natural Killer (NK) cells are crucial for innate immunity against viral infections and tumors.
Modulating human NK cell activity presents therapeutic and prophylactic potential.
Existing screening tools are limited due to the complex regulation of NK cell subsets.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop and validate a robust cell-based flowcytometric assay for screening NK cell-modulating compounds.
To identify natural compounds with the potential to enhance NK cell activity.

Main Methods:

A co-culture system using human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and K562 target cells was employed.
Cells were labeled with fluorescent dyes (CFSE and propidium iodide) for flow cytometry analysis.
Assay performance was validated using Z'-factor and quality criteria, with Interleukin-2 as a positive control.

Main Results:

The developed assay demonstrated good performance with an average Z'-factor of 0.6.
Over 95% of assays met quality criteria, indicating reliability.
The assay successfully distinguished between effective and less effective compounds, including natural products.

Conclusions:

The described flowcytometric assay is a robust and reliable tool for functional screening of compounds that modulate NK cell activity.
This assay facilitates the identification of natural compounds for potential immunomodulatory therapies.
The assay's ability to handle complex cell systems makes it suitable for large-scale screening.