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Updated: Aug 10, 2026

Flow Cytometry-based Assay for the Monitoring of NK Cell Functions
Published on: October 30, 2016
How to trigger a killer: modulation of natural killer cell reactivity on many levels
1Leibniz Research Center for Working Environment and Human Factors, IfADo, Dortmund, Germany.
Abstract:
The functions of Natural Killer (NK) cells are regulated by a highly redundant set of germline-encoded surface receptors that can inhibit or activate NK cell activities. NK cells can be activated by cytokines or through the interaction with transformed or infected cells. This typically results in the production of cytokines, chemokines, and the induction of cellular cytotoxicity. However, the reactivity of NK cells is modulated on various levels and shaped by processes such as development, education, priming, exposure to antigens and cytokines, and the formation of memory-like phenotypes. Here, I will summarize our current understanding of these processes and describe how they influence NK cell reactivity on a molecular level.
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