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Flow Cytometry

Flow Cytometry

The development of flow cytometry techniques began in 1934 with initial attempts by Andrew Moldavan, a bacteriologist who counted the cells in a flowing capillary system. Moldavan pumped cells through a capillary tube focused under a microscope for visualization. The invention of photometry allowed the measurement of differentially-stained cells, and Louis Kamentsky developed the first multiparameter flow cytometer in 1965 to identify and count the cancer cells in cervical tissue specimens.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 1, 2026

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

Flow Cytometry Analysis of NK Cell Phenotype and Function in Aging.

Raquel Tarazona¹, Carmen Campos², Alejandra Pera²

¹Immunology Unit, Department of Physiology, University of Extremadura, Caceres, Spain.

Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)

|October 1, 2015

Summary

Natural killer (NK) cells are crucial for innate immunity and fighting infections or tumors. This study details methods to analyze NK cell subsets and their functions, particularly how aging impacts them.

Keywords:

CD107a/b degranulation assay Cytotoxicity Density gradient separation Flow cytometry NK cell subsets

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Quantitative Imaging of Lineage-specific Toll-like Receptor-mediated Signaling in Monocytes and Dendritic Cells from Small Samples of Human Blood

Quantitative Imaging of Lineage-specific Toll-like Receptor-mediated Signaling in Monocytes and Dendritic Cells from Small Samples of Human Blood

Published on: April 16, 2012

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Last Updated: Apr 1, 2026

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

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

Quantitative Imaging of Lineage-specific Toll-like Receptor-mediated Signaling in Monocytes and Dendritic Cells from Small Samples of Human Blood

Quantitative Imaging of Lineage-specific Toll-like Receptor-mediated Signaling in Monocytes and Dendritic Cells from Small Samples of Human Blood

Published on: April 16, 2012

Area of Science:

Immunology
Cell Biology
Innate Immunity

Background:

Natural killer (NK) cells are lymphocytes integral to the innate immune system, recently classified as group 1 innate lymphoid cells (ILCs).
NK cells possess cytotoxic functions against virus-infected and tumor cells, and regulate immune responses via cytokine and chemokine production.
Human NK cell subsets are distinguished by CD56 expression levels, and aging significantly impacts their subsets and functionality.

Purpose of the Study:

To present established protocols for the precise delineation of distinct NK cell subsets.
To describe methodologies for assessing the functional capacity of these NK cell subsets.
To investigate the differential effects of aging on NK cell subsets and their functions.

Main Methods:

Utilized multiparametric flow cytometry for detailed analysis.
Developed protocols for identifying and characterizing specific NK cell subsets based on surface markers like CD56.
Assessed functional capacities including cytotoxicity and cytokine production of delineated NK cell populations.

Main Results:

Successfully delineated distinct NK cell subsets using multiparametric flow cytometry.
Quantified functional differences among identified NK cell subsets.
Observed differential impacts of aging on the composition and function of NK cell subsets.

Conclusions:

The described multiparametric flow cytometry protocols enable robust characterization of human NK cell subsets.
These methods facilitate the study of age-related changes in NK cell populations and their immune functions.
Understanding these changes is critical for addressing age-associated immune dysregulation and enhancing immune surveillance.