Category: Blog

Harnessing the Power of Natural Killer Cells for Cancer Immunotherapy

The immune system is our body’s biological defense system against a variety of pathogens and is separated into the innate and adaptive branches. Our innate immune system is the body’s first line of defense, activating immediately or within hours of a foreign antigen’s appearance in the body with natural killer (NK) cells playing a key […]

Written by on April 14, 2021

CD14+ Monocytes are a Critical Component of the Innate Immune System

What are Monocytes? Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), which reside in the bone marrow give rise to blood cells in a process called hematopoiesis. HSCs differentiate into the lymphoid and myeloid lineages, which further differentiate into mature blood cell types (Figure 1). Monocytes are large agranular leukocytes of the myeloid lineage comprising between 5% – 10% […]

Written by on February 22, 2021

PBMCs: A powerful research tool

What are PBMCs? Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) are key components of the body’s complex and dynamic immune system. A mononuclear cell is characterized by a single round nucleus and includes lymphocytes, monocytes, and dendritic cells. These cells have important immunological roles defending the body from infection, cancer, and other foreign invaders, making them […]

Written by on October 28, 2020

Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-Cell Therapy

Re-tasking our body’s own immune system to treat cancer has been a major scientific goal over the last few decades. According to the National Cancer Institute, it is estimated that 1,735,350 new cases of cancer were diagnosed, and 609,640 deaths were reported in the US in 2018. One of the most revolutionary approaches to date […]

Written by on July 20, 2020

Cryopreserved PBMCs Offer Advantages Over Fresh

Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMCs) derived from Leukopaks are a rich source of leukocytes, the ideal starting material for isolating T cells, B cells, natural killer cells, and monocytes. Many researchers have empirically determined that fresh PBMCs consistently provide optimal quality in terms of cell count and cell viability. However, sourcing fresh PBMCs can be […]

Written by on May 6, 2020