NK Cell Expansion Kit

Mfr.No.	78927
Background	NK (natural killer) cells are part of the innate immune system. They function in a histocompatibility complex-independent mode and derive from the hematopoietic lineage. They are the first line of defense against cancer. Expression of marker CD56 correlates with NK cell functionality: the CD56bright subset accounts for about 5% of the population and is less cytotoxic than the CD56dim subset. Cytotoxicity can happen by the release of perforin and granzyme, while activation by KARs (killer activating receptors) leads to release of Fas Ligand, TRAIL (TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand) and TNFα (tumor necrosis factor-alpha). In a suppressive tumor microenvironment, NK cells can become inhibited and unable to fight cancer cells. Several clinical trials have focused on using ex vivo generated NK cells alone or in combination with other approaches. NK cells can be generated ex vivo from peripheral blood, umbilical cord blood, iPS cells or immortalized NK cell lines. The ability to generate a number of pure cells high enough for human dosage often requires the use of growth factors such as IL-2 (interleukin 2) or IL-15, and feeder cells. The use of NK cells or CAR (chimeric antigen receptor)-NK cells is an expanding area holding great promise in cancer therapy.
Description	The NK Cell Expansion Kit is suitable for the ex vivo culture and expansion of human natural killer (NK) cells. It contains engineered Growth-Arrested NK Feeder Cells and NK Cell Basal Medium. The Growth-Arrested NK Feeder Cells are K562 cells engineered to express membrane bound IL-21, and other components, to drive the robust activation and expansion of NK cells. The kit provides enough growth-arrested feeder cells for a starter population of 1 million purified NK cells or PBMC cells.
Description	NK Cell Expansion Kit

Format

Name	Amount	Storage
Growth-Arrested NK Feeder Cells	2 million cells/ vial x 5 vials	Liquid Nitrogen
NK Cell Basal Medium	500 ml	4°C
Human Interleukin-2	10 µg	-20°C

Storage

Feeder Cells are shipped in dry ice and should immediately be thawed or stored in liquid nitrogen upon receipt. Do not use a -80°C freezer for long term storage. NK Cell Basal Medium is shipped in dry ice and stored at -20°C. After the first thaw, the medium can be stored at 4°C for up to 1 month. Alternatively, aliquot the medium into tubes and store at -20°C. Do not re-freeze aliquots after thawing.