Characterization of anti-tumor activity in different NK cell subsets by multiparametric flow cytometry

The ever more insightful dissection of the NK cell population in humans has produced a plethora of (more or less) defined subpopulations with quite differentiated functional properties. Considering the potential clinical perspectives offered by peripheral blood NK cells, it is crucial to design strategies to functionally assess a large number of cell subsets directly from the peripheral mononuclear cells (PBMCs). In this chapter, we describe a simple method to quantify cytotoxic degranulation and IFN-γ production in classical NK cell subsets, focusing, particularly on the NKG2C+ "adaptive" NK cells.