Section Metabolic Diseases, Department of Molecular Cancer Research, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Cell Mol Life Sci. 2013 Dec;70(24):4711-27. doi: 10.1007/s00018-013-1414-1. Epub 2013 Jul 9.
Adipose tissue (AT) represents a microenvironment where intersection takes place between immune processes and metabolic pathways. A variety of immune cells have been characterized in AT over the past decades, with the most recent addition of invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells. As members of the T cell family, iNKT cells represent a subset that exhibits both innate and adaptive characteristics and directs ensuing immune responses. In disease conditions, iNKT cells have established roles that include disorders in the autoimmune spectrum in malignancies and infectious diseases. Recent work supports a role for iNKT cells in the maintenance of AT homeostasis through both immune and metabolic pathways. The deficiency of iNKT cells can result in AT metabolic disruptions and insulin resistance. In this review, we summarize recent work on iNKT cells in immune regulation, with an emphasis on AT-resident iNKT cells, and identify the potential mechanisms by which adipocytes can mediate iNKT cell activity.
脂肪组织（AT）代表了一个免疫过程和代谢途径交叉的微环境。在过去的几十年中，人们已经在 AT 中鉴定出了多种免疫细胞，最近又发现了不变自然杀伤 T（iNKT）细胞。作为 T 细胞家族的成员，iNKT 细胞代表了一个具有先天和适应性特征的亚群，并指导随后的免疫反应。在疾病状态下，iNKT 细胞的作用已经得到确定，包括恶性肿瘤和传染病中的自身免疫谱紊乱。最近的研究支持 iNKT 细胞通过免疫和代谢途径在维持 AT 内稳态中的作用。iNKT 细胞的缺乏会导致 AT 代谢紊乱和胰岛素抵抗。在这篇综述中，我们总结了 iNKT 细胞在免疫调节中的最新研究进展，重点介绍了驻留于 AT 的 iNKT 细胞，并确定了脂肪细胞介导 iNKT 细胞活性的潜在机制。
