Krebswissenschaft und -therapie

Advances in NKT cell Immunotherapy for Glioblastoma

Abstract

Kalyani Pyaram and Viveka Nand Yadav

Type I or invariant natural killer T cells belong to a unique lineage of innate T cells, which express markers of both T lymphocytes and NK cells, namely T cell receptor (TCR) and NK1.1 (CD161C), respectively. Thus, apart from direct killing of target cells like NK cells, and they also produce a myriad of cytokines which modulate the adaptive immune responses. Unlike traditional T cells which carry a conventional ab TCR, NKT cells express semiinvariant TCR – Va14-Ja18, coupled with Vb8, Vb7 and Vb2 in mice. In humans, the invariant TCR is composed of Va24-Ja18, coupled with Vb11.