Cell Biology

Natural Killer (NK) cells are a critical component of the innate immune system, specialized in identifying and eliminating infected or malignant cells without prior sensitization. Unlike T cells, NK cells recognize stressed or malignant cells through a balance of activating and inhibitory signals. This mechanism allows them to target tumor cells that evade other immune responses. As they express potent cytotoxic activity against a wide range of cancer cells, NK cells have great potential to be utilized in tumor therapy.

The most common source of NK cells are peripheral blood lymphocytes, in which NK cells only make up a fraction of 5 - 10 %. Therefore, the expansion of NK cells for efficient use in research and therapy is inevitable. In our current research projects, we focus on addressing this problem by optimizing NK cell culture conditions. In parallel, we strive to enhance killing assays, which are important to investigate the biological mechanisms and efficiency of their cytotoxic activity against cancer cells. In these quests we routinely apply specialized cell culture techniques and flow cytometry, a technique which is also an indispensable part of medical routine diagnostics. In summary, we are developing an experimental framework to advance the understanding and medical usability of NK cells and their interaction with cancer stem cells.