Techniques for studying development of human natural killer cells and T cells.

Abstract

It is now commonly accepted that natural killer (NK) cells are closely related to T cells. Some severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) patients have been described lacking T and NK cells, but having normal numbers of B and myeloid cells, suggesting a common origin of T and NK cells (). Furthermore, T and NK cells share a number of phenotypic and functional characteristics, not present in B cells (reviewed in [,]). In additional, both in humans () and mice () cells have been found with T and NK cell, but no B cell, progenitor activities