Table 1.

Expansion and Generation of NK Cells from Lin⁻, c-kit⁺, Sca2⁺ Bone Marrow Progenitors Cultured in IL-6, IL-7, SCF, and flt3-L ± IL-15

Primary culture				Secondary culture				Total Yield‡		NK1.1+
Cytokines		Yield*		Cytokines		Yield*
										%
IL-15		0.3		IL-15		1.0		0.3		ND
6/7/SCF/flt3-L		9.4		6/7/SCF/flt3-L		8.7		81.8		2
6/7/SCF/flt3-L		9.4		IL-15		3.8		35.7		85

Sorted progenitors were cultured in the two-part culture system as described in Materials and Methods. NK1.1 expression was assessed using PE-labeled anti-NK1.1 mAb (PK136) from PharMingen. The data are representative of six experiments.  

^* Yield represents the fold increase in total cell number.  

^‡ Total yield is the product of the yield in the primary and secondary cultures.