Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 12, 2026

Measurement of Natural Killer Cell-Mediated Cytotoxicity and Migration in the Context of Hepatic Tumor Cells
06:55

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

Published on: February 22, 2020

Peripheral blood natural killer (NK) cell function in healthy adults assessed using the target-induced NK loss

Hilary S Warren1, Fan Wu, Peggy L Horn

  • 1Cancer Immunology Research Unit, The Canberra Hospital, Woden, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. Hilary.Warren@anu.edu.au

Journal of Immunological Methods
|April 10, 2013
PubMed

Insights

The target-induced Natural Killer (NK) cell loss (TINKL) assay reliably measures NK cell function. This assay shows low variability within experiments but highlights significant natural variation in NK cell activity across healthy individuals.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Cellular Immunology
  • Flow Cytometry

Background:

  • Natural Killer (NK) cells are crucial for innate immunity.
  • Assessing NK cell function is vital for clinical applications.
  • The target-induced Natural Killer (NK) loss (TINKL) assay offers a sensitive method for measuring NK cell activity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide data supporting the clinical utility of the TINKL assay.
  • To quantify the intra-experimental and inter-experimental variability of the TINKL assay.
  • To characterize the variability of NK cell function in a healthy adult population.

Main Methods:

  • The TINKL assay was employed using flow cytometry.
  • NK cell loss was measured after co-culture with target cells (K562 and antibody-coated targets).
  • Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from healthy adults were analyzed.

Main Results:

  • Intra-experimental variability was 11% for natural killing and 3% for antibody-dependent killing.
  • Inter-experimental variability was 14% for natural killing and 9% for antibody-dependent killing.
  • Significant population variability was observed in NK cell function (33% CV for natural killing, 27% CV for antibody-dependent killing).

Conclusions:

  • The TINKL assay demonstrates acceptable variability for clinical use.
  • NK cell functional capacity varies considerably among healthy individuals.
  • These findings are essential for interpreting TINKL assay results in clinical and research settings.

More Related Videos

A Flow Cytometry-Based Cytotoxicity Assay for the Assessment of Human NK Cell Activity06:08

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 Functions08:17

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

Published on: October 30, 2016

Related Concept Videos

Cells of the Innate Immune Response01:28

Cells of the Innate Immune Response

The innate immune response is an immediate and non-specific response against pathogens, acting swiftly to prevent the spread of infections. The primary cells involved in this response are phagocytes and natural killer (NK) cells.
Phagocytes
Phagocytes police the peripheral tissues by removing cellular debris and responding to the invasion of foreign substances or pathogens. Many phagocytes attack and remove microorganisms even before lymphocytes detect them. The human body has two general...
Cytotoxic T Cells-mediated Immune Response01:27

Cytotoxic T Cells-mediated Immune Response

Cytotoxic T cells are a vital component of the immune system. They have the remarkable ability to identify and target antigens on infected or abnormal cells. These antigens often originate from intracellular pathogens such as viruses or abnormal proteins cancer cells produce.
Immunological surveillance is the ability of immune cells to monitor and eliminate infected cells with intracellular pathogens, neoplastically transformed cells, and cells with non-self antigens. Cytotoxic T cells and NK...
Immune Surveillance by NK Cells and Phagocytes01:25

Immune Surveillance by NK Cells and Phagocytes

Immune surveillance is an integral part of the innate immune system, involving the continuous monitoring of peripheral tissues to detect and respond to pathogens, infected cells, or cancerous cells. This surveillance is conducted primarily by natural killer (NK) cells and phagocytes, which employ distinct but complementary mechanisms to identify and eliminate threats.
Natural Killer Cells: The Fast Responders
NK cells are large granular lymphocytes found in the blood and lymphatic system. These...