Invariant NKT Cells Amplify the Innate Immune Response to Lipopolysaccharide

Immune Response to Lipopolysaccharide Invariant NKT Cells Amplify the Innate

NK, NKT and Invariant-NKT Cells in Tumor Draining Lymph Nodes of Patients with Breast Cancer

Background: NK (natural killer) and NKT (natural killer T) cells, as components of innate immune system, play a crucial role in tumor progression and dissemination. Objective: To investigate the percentages of NK cells, NKT cells, iNKT (invariant natural killer T) cells, total T lymphocytes as well as activated T lymphocytes, in tumor draining lymph nodes (TDLN...

Invariant NKT Cells as Initiators, Licensors, and Facilitators of the Adaptive Immune Response

In the past, the neural reflex arc provided immunologists with a useful analogy for understanding the adaptive immune response (Fig. 1). A revisit to the concept of the immune reflex arc, in which the immune response is divided into an afferent limb, central processing mechanism, and efferent limb, may help us understand where and how various innate immune cells function. Originally, the cells ...

Immune regulation by invariant NKT cells in autoimmunity.

Invariant NKT cells are important regulators of T cell immunity and autoimmunity. In this review we describe evidence that supports their regulatory role in the prevention of autoimmune disease. Moreover, we will discuss the current knowledge on iNKT cell biology, antigen recognition, acquisition of a specific cytokine profile, and mechanism of action that suggest a key role for iNKT cells as n...

Invariant NKT cells

Although invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells influence antitumor responses indirectly by secreting cytokines and promoting the cytolytic functions of T and NK cells, we find that iNKT cells mediate direct tumoricidal activity in vitro and significantly inhibit tumor growth in vivo, even in the absence of other cytotoxic lymphocytes.