Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-8670, Japan.
Immunotherapy. 2009 Jan;1(1):73-82. doi: 10.2217/1750743X.1.1.73.
Human Valpha24 invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells are a distinct lymphocyte population, characterized by an invariant T-cell receptor Valpha24 chain paired mainly with Valpha11. Valpha24 iNKT cells are activated by a glycolipid ligand - alpha-galactosylceramide - and produce a large amount of Th1 and Th2 cytokines, thereby modulating the function of other cells. iNKT cells have the capability to control a wide variety of immune responses, including antitumor immunity. Abnormalities in the number and function of Valpha24 iNKT cells have been observed in patients with malignant diseases accompanied with a poor clinical outcome. Therefore, therapeutic strategies that focused on the restoration of Valpha24 iNKT cell population and function would be a reasonable rationale for the treatment of cancer. In this article, the progress to date in the clinical studies of iNKT cell-based immunotherapy is briefly reviewed and the role of Valpha24 iNKT cells in cancer immunotherapy is highlighted.
人类不变自然杀伤 T(iNKT)细胞是一种独特的淋巴细胞群，其特征是不变的 T 细胞受体 Valpha24 链主要与 Valpha11 配对。Valpha24 iNKT 细胞被糖脂配体 -α-半乳糖基神经酰胺激活，并产生大量 Th1 和 Th2 细胞因子，从而调节其他细胞的功能。iNKT 细胞具有控制多种免疫反应的能力，包括抗肿瘤免疫。在伴有不良临床结局的恶性疾病患者中观察到 Valpha24 iNKT 细胞数量和功能异常。因此，专注于恢复 Valpha24 iNKT 细胞群体和功能的治疗策略将是治疗癌症的合理依据。本文简要综述了基于 iNKT 细胞的免疫治疗的临床研究进展，并强调了 Valpha24 iNKT 细胞在癌症免疫治疗中的作用。
