NK Cell Activation: Basic Testing
Our body’s primary defense mechanisms towards cancers and viral diseases involve a group of cells called Natural Killer (NK) cells. These cells travel in our blood stream in a resting state, but can be immediately recruited into tissues by chemical signals and activated through various mechanisms to
- kill cancer cells,
- divide and make more NK cells, and
- secrete substances that attract other cells into the site.
NIS Labs performs testing for NK cell activation using freshly isolated human white blood cells. The induction of the activation marker CD69 after NK cells have been exposed to natural products is examined by flow cytometry.