Natural killer Cells (NK), human

Specialized periphal blood lymphocytes that recognize and destroy foreign cells or infected host cells in a nonspecific manner.

Natural killer (NK) cells are lymphocytes of the immune system that are critical in host defense and immune regulation. Since they are part of innate immunity, they do not require sensitization for the expression of their activity. NK cells play significant roles in viral infections, autoimmunity, pregnancy, cancer, bone marrow transplantation, and more recently adaptive immunity. NK cells are most traditionally characterized by the presence of surface marker CD56.

Cell Type:
Natural Killer (NK)
Tissue Origin:
blood
Species:
human
Research Area:
Cancer Research/Cell Biology
Immunotherapy / Hematology
Cell Characteristics:
Suspension

Recommended Media

TheraPEAK® X-VIVO® Media is a high-performing media series providing nutritionally adequate and balanced environments for a variety of hematopoietic cells including: 

  • T Cells
  • CAR-T cells
  • Peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL)
  • Tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL)
  • Human monocytes and macrophages
  • Lymphokine-activated killer cells (LAK)
  • Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs)
  • Dendritic cells (DCs) 

Our scalable media are widely cited in scientific publications and proven to reliably work in many cell therapy applications around the world, from research stages to clinical trials to FDA-approved cell therapies. TheraPEAK® Products are manufactured according to GMP standards and can be safely and confidently used in your clinical processes. Our manufacturing sites are FDA registered with an ISO 13485 certified quality management system. 


There are two main versions of this media.

TheraPEAK® X-VIVO® 10 Media are  optimized for slower growing, less mature cells, such as hematopoietic stem cells

TheraPEAK® X-VIVO® 15 Media are most appropriate for rapidly growing cells, specifically cells of the immune system

TheraPEAK® X-VIVO® 10 Media and 15 Media are also available with recombinant transferrin instead of native human transferrin

Please note: X-VIVO™ 20 is currently available as an RUO grade catalog item. 

Storage: 2-8C, protect from light.

Catalog Offerings:

TheraPEAK® X-VIVO® Medium with native transferrin

Cat. No. NA

Cat.CCat. No. EU

Product

Size

BP04-743Q                            

 

           BEBP04-743Q

TheraPEAK® X-VIVO® 10 Medium without gentamicin and phenol red, contains native transferrin

1 L bottle

BP04-744Q

 

BEBP04-744Q

TheraPEAK® X-VIVO® 15 Medium with L-glutamine, without gentamicin and phenol red, contains native transferrin

1 L bottle

08-879H

08-879P1

 

BE08-879H

BE08-879P1

TheraPEAK® X-VIVO® 15 Medium with L-glutamine, without gentamicin and phenol red, contains native transferrin

5 L bag

1 L bag

TheraPEAK™ X-VIVO™ Medium with recombinant transferrin

Cat. No. NA

Cat. No. EU

Product

Size

N/A

BEBP02-055Q

TheraPEAK® X-VIVO® 10 Medium with L-glutamine, without gentamicin or phenol red, contains recombinant transferrin

1 L bottle

BP02-054Q

BP02-054P1

BEBP02-054Q

BEBP02-054P1

TheraPEAK® X-VIVO® 15 Medium with L-glutamine, without gentamicin and phenol red, contains recombinant transferrin

1 L bottle

1 L bag

LGM-3 is a serum-free medium for lymphocyte and dendritic cell growth

Transfection Information

Lonza Optimized Protocol
Optimization Guideline
Filter:
The table below shows data for the cell type and Nucleofector™ Platform selected. Those data are either based on Lonza Optimized Protocols or on results shared from customers who performed an optimization based on our guidelines. In case no data are shown for the selected Nucleofector™ Platform, please take a look at our optimization strategy to get further guidance on how to easily determine optimal Nucleofection conditions yourself.
Protocol Kit Program Cells Efficiency Viable Cells Substrate Format Platform
NK cell, human U-001 2e6 16% ±4 50-60% Plasmid (general) 2 µg 100 µl I/II/2b
P3 EK-100 5e5 30-32% 76% Plasmid (general) 400 ng 20 µl 4D X-Unit
P3 FA-100 5e5 53-54% 44-45% Plasmid (general) 400 ng 20 µl 4D X-Unit
P3 EN-138 3e6 35.5% 77.5% Plasmid (general) 20 µl 4D X-Unit

Citations (27)

Categories:
Serum-free and Speciality Media, Transfection 
Authors:
Lin H, Ye S, Zhang S, Ge T, Li D, Huang L, Zhu L, Mu W 
In:
Cytotherapy (2025) 27(2): 247-257 
Categories:
Primary Cells and Media, Serum-free and Speciality Media, Transfection 
Authors:
Shankar K, Zingler-Hoslet I, Tabima DM, Zima S, Shi L, Gimse K, Forsberg MH, Katta V, Davis SZ, Maldonado D, Russell BE, Murtaza M, Tsai SQ, Ayuso JM, Capitini CM, Saha K 
In:
Mol Ther (2025) 33(3): 1014-1030 
Categories:
Primary Cells and Media, Transfection 
Authors:
Bexte T, Botezatu L, Miskey C, Gierschek F, Moter A, Wendel P, Reindl LM, Campe J, Villena-Ossa JF, Gebel V, Stein K, Cathomen T, Cremer A, Wels WS, Hudecek M, Ivics Z, Ullrich E. 
In:
Mol Ther (2024) S1525-0016: 00320-4 
Categories:
Transfection, Cell Lines and Primary Cancer Cells 
Authors:
Kath J, Franke C, Drosdek V, Du W, Glaser V, Fuster-Garcia C, Stein M, Zittel T, Schulenberg S, Porter CE, Andersch L, Künkele A, Alcaniz J, Hoffmann J, Abken H, Abou-El-Enein M, Pruß A, Suzuki M, Cathomen T, Stripecke R, Volk HD, Reinke P, Schmueck-Henneresse M, Wagner DL 
In:
Blood (2024) 143(25): :2599-2611 
Categories:
Transfection 
Authors:
Verhezen T, Lau HW, Van Audenaerde J, Wouters A, Smits E, De Waele J 
In:
STAR Protoc (2024) 5(3): 103123 
Categories:
Transfection 
Authors:
Bexte T, Albinger N, Al Ajami A, Wendel P, Buchinger L, Gessner A, Alzubi J, Särchen V, Vogler M, Rasheed HM, Jung BA, Wolf S, Bhayadia R, Oellerich T, Klusmann JH, Penack O, Möker N, Cathomen T, Rieger MA, Imkeller K, Ullrich E 
In:
Nat Commun. (2024) 15(1): 8439 
Categories:
Transfection 
Authors:
Alawar N, Schirra C, Hohmann M, Becherer U 
In:
BMC Biotechnol (2024) 24(1): 16 
Categories:
Primary Cells and Media, Serum-free and Speciality Media, Transfection, Cell Lines and Primary Cancer Cells 
Authors:
Foss DV, Muldoon JJ, Nguyen DN, Carr D, Sahu SU, Hunsinger JM, Wyman SK, Krishnappa N, Mendonsa R, Schanzer EV, Shy BR, Vykunta VS, Allain V, Li Z, Marson A, Eyquem J, Wilson RC 
In:
Nat Biomed Eng (2023) 5: 647-660 
Categories:
Transfection 
Authors:
Kaulfuss M, Mietz J, Fabri A, Vom Berg J, Münz C, Chijioke O 
In:
Biosci Rep (2023) 13(1): 10555 
Categories:
Transfection 
Authors:
Bexte T, Alzubi J, Reindl LM, Wendel P, Schubert R, Salzmann-Manrique E, von Metzler I, Cathomen T, Ullrich E 
In:
Oncol Rep (2022) 31;11(1): 2081415 
Categories:
Primary Cells and Media, Transfection 
Authors:
Naeimi Kararoudi M, Likhite S, Elmas E, Yamamoto K, Schwartz M, Sorathia K, de Souza Fernandes Pereira M, Sezgin Y, Devine RD, Lyberger JM, Behbehani GK, Chakravarti N, Moriarity BS, Meyer K, Lee DA 
In:
Cell Rep Med (2022) 2(6): 100236 
Categories:
Serum-free and Speciality Media, Transfection 
Authors:
Mélanie Lambert , Caroline Leijonhufvud , Filip Segerberg , J Joseph Melenhorst , Mattias Carlsten  
In:
Methods Mol Biol (2020) 2121: 213-219 
Categories:
Primary Cells and Media, Serum-free and Speciality Media, Transfection 
Authors:
Nguyen DN, Roth TL, Li PJ, Chen PA, Apathy R, Mamedov MR, Vo LT, Tobin VR, Goodman D, Shifrut E, Bluestone JA, Puck JM, Szoka FC, Marson A. 
In:
Nat Biotechnol (2019) 1: 1 
Categories:
Transfection 
Authors:
Prager I, Liesche C, van Ooijen H, Urlaub D, Verron Q, Sandström N, Fasbender F, Claus M, Eils R, Beaudouin J, Önfelt B, Watzl C. 
In:
J Exp Med (2019) 216(9): 2113-2127 
Categories:
Primary Cells and Media, Transfection 
Authors:
Naeimi Kararoudi, M., Dolatshad, H., Trikha, P., Hussain, S. R., Elmas, E., Foltz, J. A., Moseman, J. E., Thakkar, A., Nakkula, R. J., Lamb, M., Chakravarti, N., McLaughlin, K. J., Lee, D. A. 
In:
Journal of Visualized Experiments, JoVE (2018) 136: e58237 
Categories:
Transfection 
Authors:
Zhao Y1, Hu J2, Li R1, Song J1, Kang Y1, Liu S1, Zhang D1. 
In:
OncoTarget (2015) 8: 1553-9 
Categories:
Transfection 
Authors:
Chu Y, Hochberg J, Yahr A, Ayello J, van de Ven C, Barth M, Czuczman M, Cairo MS. 
In:
Cancer Immunol Immunother (2015) 3(4): 333-44 
Categories:
Primary Cells and Media 
Authors:
Kyoizumi S, Kubo Y, Kajimura J, Yoshida K, Imai K, Hayashi T, Nakachi K, Young LF, Moore MA, van den Brink MR, Kusunoki Y. 
In:
J Immunol (2013) 190(12): 6164-72 
Categories:
Primary Cells and Media 
Authors:
Deuse T, Seifert M, Phillips N, Fire A, Tyan D, Kay M, Tsao PS, Hua X, Velden J, Eiermann T, Volk HD, Reichenspurner H, Robbins RC, Schrepfer S. 
In:
Circulation (2011) 124(11): ePub 
Categories:
Classical Media and Reagents, Serum-free and Speciality Media 
Authors:
Diermayr S, Himmelreich H, Durovic B, Mathys-Schneeberger A, Siegler U, Langenkamp U, Hofsteenge J, Gratwohl A, Tichelli A, Paluszewska M, Wiktor-Jedrzejczak W, Kalberer CP, Wodnar-Filipowicz A. 
In:
Blood (2008) 111(3): 1428-36 
Categories:
Transfection 
Authors:
Marusina AI, Burgess SJ, Pathmanathan I, Borrego F, Coligan JE 
In:
J Immunol (2008) 180(1): 409-17 
Categories:
Transfection 
Authors:
Khurana D, Arneson LN, Schoon RA, Dick CJ, Leibson PJ 
In:
J Immunol (2007) 178(6): 3575-82 
Categories:
Transfection 
Authors:
Radons J, Gross C, Stangl S and Multhoff G 
In:
J Immunol Methods (2005) 303(1-2): 135-141 
Categories:
Transfection 
Authors:
Trompeter HI, Gomez-Lozano N, Santourlidis S, Eisermann B, Wernet P, Vilches C and Uhrberg M 
In:
J Immunol (2005) 174(7): 4135-4143 
Categories:
Transfection 
Authors:
Mirandola P, Ponti C, Gobbi G, Sponzilli I, Vaccarezza M, Cocco L, Zauli G, Secchiero P, Manzoli FA and Vitale M 
In:
Blood (2004) 104(8): 2418-2424 
Categories:
Transfection 
Authors:
Roda-Navarro P, Mittelbrunn M, Ortega M, Howie D, Terhorst C, Sanchez-Madrid F and Fernandez-Ruiz E 
In:
J Immunol (2004) 173(6): 3640-3646 
Categories:
Transfection 
Authors:
Trompeter HI, Weinhold S, Thiel C, Wernet P and Uhrberg M 
In:
J Immunol Methods (2003) 274: 245-256 
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