Mouse NK Cells

Mouse NK cells are important effector cells of the innate immune system and are involved in early immune defense, tumor control, and immune regulation. Mouse NK cells are produced in the bone marrow from hematopoietic stem cells and found in peripheral tissues such as the spleen, blood, liver, lungs, and lymph nodes. Splenic NK cells can be considered the prototypical cytotoxic NK cell subset, while resident NK cells in the liver are frequently immunoregulatory, illustrating a tissue-based heterogeneity in the NK cell compartment.

Mouse NK cells are non-adherent, round lymphoid cells with a high content of cytotoxic granules that contain perforin and granzymes. They require cytokine signals for survival and proliferation, most notably IL-2 and IL-15. They are capable of fast cytotoxicity against transformed or infected cells via granule exocytosis and death receptor pathways and produce key cytokines like IFN-γ and TNF-α to help coordinate other aspects of the innate and adaptive immune response. They can also influence dendritic cell maturation, macrophage activation, and T-cell priming, and as such are an interface between many different immune mechanisms.

Mouse NK cells are used as a foundational system for studies on tumor immunology, antiviral immunity, cytokine signaling, and NK cell development. Due to their compatibility with existing mouse genetic systems, they have been instrumental in helping to dissect the many details of NK cell receptor-ligand interactions, MHC-I recognition, and the molecular mechanisms behind NK cell activation. Mouse NK cells remain an important, versatile system for immunological research and NK-based immunotherapy development.