Invariant NKT cells are CD1d-restricted T cells specific for glycolipid Ags. Their activation or transgenic enrichment abrogates the development of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Herein, we demonstrate that in NKT-enriched mice the protection from EAE is associated with the infiltration of NKT cells in the CNS and the local expression of CD1d. This indicates that the CNS acqui...

NKT cells are defined as cells co-expressing of the natural killer receptors such as NK1.1 or NKR-P1A (CD161) and a T cell receptor (TCR). Although NK1.1(+) TCR(+) lymphocytes are heterogeneous, we focus on two distinct T cell subsets express invariant T cell receptor alpha chains, Valpha14-Jalpha18(Valpha14i) and Valpha19-Jalpha33(Valpha19i). Valpha14i NKT cells (Valpha24i NKT cells for human)...

Natural killer T (NKT) cells are a unique subset of T cells that display markers characteristic of both natural killer (NK) cells and T cells(1). Unlike classical T cells, NKT cells recognize lipid antigen in the context of CD1 molecules(2). NKT cells express an invariant TCRα chain rearrangement: Vα14Jα18 in mice and Vα24Jα18 in humans, which is associated with Vβ chains of limited diversity(3...

Vα24-invariant NKT cells inhibit tumor growth by targeting tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs). Tumor progression therefore requires that TAMs evade NKT cell activity through yet-unknown mechanisms. Here we report that a subset of cells in neuroblastoma (NB) cell lines and primary tumors expresses membrane-bound TNF-α (mbTNF-α). These proinflammatory tumor cells induced production of the chemok...

Natural killer T (NKT) cells are a conserved subpopulation of lymphocytes that recognize glycolipid antigens in a CD1d context. Upon activation through their semi-invariant T cell receptor, these cells rapidly release large amounts of immunomodulating Th1 and Th2 cytokines. NKT cells have therefore been implicated in immune responses controlling various diseases, including infection, cancer, tr...

Glycolipid reactive CD1d restricted natural killer T (NKT) cells represent a distinct population of T cells implicated in the regulation of immune responses in a broad range of diseases including cancer. Several studies have demonstrated the capacity of NKT cells bearing an invariant T cell receptor (iNKT cells) to recruit both innate and adaptive anti-tumor immunity and mediate tumor rejection...

Background: Invariant natural killer cells (iNKT) are an important immunoregulatory T cell subset. Currently several flow cytometry-based approaches exist for the identifi-cation of iNKT cells, which rely on using the 6B11 monoclonal antibody or a combina-tion of anti-Vα24 and anti-Vβ11 antibodies. Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the ability of two flow cytometry-based methods f...

Vaccination with CD1d-binding glycolipid adjuvants and co-administered protein, lipid, and carbohydrate antigens leads to invariant natural killer T (NKT) cell-dependent enhancement of protective B cell responses. NKT cell activation boosts the establishment of protein antigen-specific B cell memory and long-lived plasma cell (LLPC) compartments. NKT cells may exert a similar effect on some car...

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a multisystem autoimmune disease with different variety of clinical manifestations. Natural killer T (NKT) cells are innate lymphocytes that play a regulatory role during broad range of immune responses. A number of studies demonstrated that the quantity and quality of invariant NKT (iNKT) cells showed marked defects in SLE patients in comparison to healthy...

Natural killer T (NKT) cell development depends on recognition of self-glycolipids via their semi-invariant Vα14i-TCR. However, to what extent TCR-mediated signals determine identity and function of mature NKT cells remains incompletely understood. To address this issue, we developed a mouse strain allowing conditional Vα14i-TCR expression from within the endogenous Tcrα locus. We demonstrate t...