Antitumor Responses of Invariant Natural Killer T Cells

Natural killer T (NKT) cells are innate-like lymphocytes that were first described in the late 1980s. Since their initial description, numerous studies have collectively shed light on their development and effector function. These studies have highlighted the unique requirements for the activation o...

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Main Authors: Jennie B. Altman, Adriana D. Benavides, Rupali Das, Hamid Bassiri
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2015-01-01
Series:Journal of Immunology Research
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/652875
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author Jennie B. Altman
Adriana D. Benavides
Rupali Das
Hamid Bassiri
author_facet Jennie B. Altman
Adriana D. Benavides
Rupali Das
Hamid Bassiri
author_sort Jennie B. Altman
collection DOAJ
description Natural killer T (NKT) cells are innate-like lymphocytes that were first described in the late 1980s. Since their initial description, numerous studies have collectively shed light on their development and effector function. These studies have highlighted the unique requirements for the activation of these lymphocytes and the functional responses that distinguish these cells from other effector lymphocyte populations such as conventional T cells and NK cells. This body of literature suggests that NKT cells play diverse nonredundant roles in a number of disease processes, including the initiation and propagation of airway hyperreactivity, protection against a variety of pathogens, development of autoimmunity, and mediation of allograft responses. In this review, however, we focus on the role of a specific lineage of NKT cells in antitumor immunity. Specifically, we describe the development of invariant NKT (iNKT) cells and the factors that are critical for their acquisition of effector function. Next, we delineate the mechanisms by which iNKT cells influence and modulate the activity of other immune cells to directly or indirectly affect tumor growth. Finally, we review the successes and failures of clinical trials employing iNKT cell-based immunotherapies and explore the future prospects for the use of such strategies.
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spelling doaj-art-4b68bc7020e14f11aacfa3f35c1e1f002025-02-03T05:58:32ZengWileyJournal of Immunology Research2314-88612314-71562015-01-01201510.1155/2015/652875652875Antitumor Responses of Invariant Natural Killer T CellsJennie B. Altman0Adriana D. Benavides1Rupali Das2Hamid Bassiri3Division of Infectious Diseases, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USADivision of Infectious Diseases, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USADivision of Oncology Research, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USADivision of Infectious Diseases, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USANatural killer T (NKT) cells are innate-like lymphocytes that were first described in the late 1980s. Since their initial description, numerous studies have collectively shed light on their development and effector function. These studies have highlighted the unique requirements for the activation of these lymphocytes and the functional responses that distinguish these cells from other effector lymphocyte populations such as conventional T cells and NK cells. This body of literature suggests that NKT cells play diverse nonredundant roles in a number of disease processes, including the initiation and propagation of airway hyperreactivity, protection against a variety of pathogens, development of autoimmunity, and mediation of allograft responses. In this review, however, we focus on the role of a specific lineage of NKT cells in antitumor immunity. Specifically, we describe the development of invariant NKT (iNKT) cells and the factors that are critical for their acquisition of effector function. Next, we delineate the mechanisms by which iNKT cells influence and modulate the activity of other immune cells to directly or indirectly affect tumor growth. Finally, we review the successes and failures of clinical trials employing iNKT cell-based immunotherapies and explore the future prospects for the use of such strategies.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/652875
spellingShingle Jennie B. Altman
Adriana D. Benavides
Rupali Das
Hamid Bassiri
Antitumor Responses of Invariant Natural Killer T Cells
Journal of Immunology Research
title Antitumor Responses of Invariant Natural Killer T Cells
title_full Antitumor Responses of Invariant Natural Killer T Cells
title_fullStr Antitumor Responses of Invariant Natural Killer T Cells
title_full_unstemmed Antitumor Responses of Invariant Natural Killer T Cells
title_short Antitumor Responses of Invariant Natural Killer T Cells
title_sort antitumor responses of invariant natural killer t cells
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/652875
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AT adrianadbenavides antitumorresponsesofinvariantnaturalkillertcells
AT rupalidas antitumorresponsesofinvariantnaturalkillertcells
AT hamidbassiri antitumorresponsesofinvariantnaturalkillertcells