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. 2011 Sep 6;6(9):e22842. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0022842

Figure 1. TGF-β dependent inhibition of NK cells following chronic interaction with tumour cells.

Figure 1

(A and B) NK cell effector function was analysed following 48 hr interaction with the colorectal cancer cell line HCT116. NK cells were cultured in the presence of IL-15, either with or without HCT116 cells, and in the presence of an anti-TGF-β antibody (or a control antibody) as indicated. Granule exocytosis (A) and IFN-γ production (B) were then analysed following restimulation with K562. The percentage of responding cells for each treatment is indicated. Both assays are one of two independent experiments. Killing of K562 cells was also inhibited in a TGF-β dependent manner (Figure S2). (C) NK cell activation receptor expression (as indicated) was assayed after co-culture with HCT116 in the presence of anti-TGF-β antibody (blue histogram), a control antibody (green histogram) or by NK cells cultured in the absence of tumour cells (red histogram). Isotype control stains are shown in grey and black.