Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Cornell Center for Immunology, Cornell Institute for Host Microbe and Defense, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.
Methods Mol Biol. 2021;2388:1-12. doi: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1775-5_1.
Natural killer T (NKT) cells are among the immediate and early responding immune cells and are important players in autoimmune diseases and tumor immunity. This unique subset of T cells shares properties of natural killer cells and T cells. Proper identification and characterization of NKT cell subsets is essential to understand the function and involvement of these understudied immune cells in various diseases. This review aims to summarize the known methods for identifying and characterizing NKT cells. NKT cells are divided into Type I (or invariant) and Type II, with either limited or broad TCR repertoires, respectively, that generally respond to glycolipids presented on the nonclassical MHC, CD1d. Type I NKT cells or invariant NKT cells (iNKT) are the most well studied and can be further subdivided into NKT1, NKT2, or NKT17 populations, classified based on their functional capacity. Conversely, less is known about Type II NKT cells because they have a more diverse TCR repertoire which make them hard to identify. However, genetic analyses have shed light on the development and function of all NKT subsets, which aids in their characterization. Further exploration of the role of NKT cells in various diseases will reveal the intricacies and importance of their novel functions.
自然杀伤 T（NKT）细胞是即时和早期反应免疫细胞之一，是自身免疫性疾病和肿瘤免疫的重要参与者。这群独特的 T 细胞兼具自然杀伤细胞和 T 细胞的特性。正确识别和描述 NKT 细胞亚群对于了解这些研究较少的免疫细胞在各种疾病中的功能和参与至关重要。本文旨在总结目前已知的 NKT 细胞鉴定和特征分析方法。NKT 细胞可分为 I 型（或不变型）和 II 型，分别具有有限或广泛的 TCR 库，通常对非经典 MHC、CD1d 上呈现的糖脂作出反应。I 型 NKT 细胞或不变型 NKT 细胞（iNKT）是研究最多的，可进一步细分为 NKT1、NKT2 或 NKT17 亚群，基于其功能能力进行分类。相反，关于 II 型 NKT 细胞的了解较少，因为它们具有更多样的 TCR 库，这使得它们难以识别。然而，遗传分析揭示了所有 NKT 亚群的发育和功能，这有助于对其进行特征描述。进一步探索 NKT 细胞在各种疾病中的作用将揭示其新型功能的复杂性和重要性。
