Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Medical Center North, Room A-5301, 1161 21st Ave. South, Nashville, TN 37232-2363, USA.
Cell Tissue Res. 2011 Jan;343(1):43-55. doi: 10.1007/s00441-010-1023-3. Epub 2010 Aug 24.
Cells of the innate immune system interact with pathogens via conserved pattern-recognition receptors, whereas cells of the adaptive immune system recognize pathogens through diverse, antigen-specific receptors that are generated by somatic DNA rearrangement. Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells are a subset of lymphocytes that bridge the innate and adaptive immune systems. Although iNKT cells express T cell receptors that are generated by somatic DNA rearrangement, these receptors are semi-invariant and interact with a limited set of lipid and glycolipid antigens, thus resembling the pattern-recognition receptors of the innate immune system. Functionally, iNKT cells most closely resemble cells of the innate immune system, as they rapidly elicit their effector functions following activation, and fail to develop immunological memory. iNKT cells can become activated in response to a variety of stimuli and participate in the regulation of various immune responses. Activated iNKT cells produce several cytokines with the capacity to jump-start and modulate an adaptive immune response. A variety of glycolipid antigens that can differentially elicit distinct effector functions in iNKT cells have been identified. These reagents have been employed to test the hypothesis that iNKT cells can be harnessed for therapeutic purposes in human diseases. Here, we review the innate-like properties and functions of iNKT cells and discuss their interactions with other cell types of the immune system.
固有免疫系统的细胞通过保守的模式识别受体与病原体相互作用，而适应性免疫系统的细胞则通过多样化的、抗原特异性的受体识别病原体，这些受体是通过体细胞 DNA 重排产生的。不变自然杀伤 T(iNKT)细胞是连接固有和适应性免疫系统的淋巴细胞亚群。尽管 iNKT 细胞表达的 T 细胞受体是通过体细胞 DNA 重排产生的，但这些受体是半不变的，与有限的一组脂质和糖脂抗原相互作用，因此类似于固有免疫系统的模式识别受体。在功能上，iNKT 细胞最类似于固有免疫系统的细胞，因为它们在激活后迅速发挥效应功能，并且不能发展出免疫记忆。iNKT 细胞可以对多种刺激物产生反应，并参与各种免疫反应的调节。激活的 iNKT 细胞产生几种具有启动和调节适应性免疫反应能力的细胞因子。已经鉴定出多种能够在 iNKT 细胞中引起不同效应功能的糖脂抗原。这些试剂已被用于测试 iNKT 细胞可用于治疗人类疾病的假说。在这里，我们回顾了 iNKT 细胞的固有样特性和功能，并讨论了它们与免疫系统其他细胞类型的相互作用。
