» Articles » PMID: 39267746

Thymic Development of Human Natural Killer T Cells: Recent Advances and Implications for Immunotherapy

Overview
Journal Front Immunol
Date 2024 Sep 13
PMID 39267746
Authors
Affiliations
Soon will be listed here.
Abstract

Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells are a subset of lipid-reactive, unconventional T cells that have anti-tumor properties that make them a promising target for cancer immunotherapy. Recent studies have deciphered the developmental pathway of human MAIT and Vγ9Vδ2 γδ-T cells as well as murine iNKT cells, yet our understanding of human NKT cell development is limited. Here, we provide an update in our understanding of how NKT cells develop in the human body and how knowledge regarding their development could enhance human treatments by targeting these cells.

References
1.
Vogt S, Mattner J . NKT Cells Contribute to the Control of Microbial Infections. Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2021; 11:718350. PMC: 8477047. DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.718350. View

2.
Chan A, Leeansyah E, Cochrane A, dUdekem dAcoz Y, Mittag D, Harrison L . Ex-vivo analysis of human natural killer T cells demonstrates heterogeneity between tissues and within established CD4(+) and CD4(-) subsets. Clin Exp Immunol. 2013; 172(1):129-37. PMC: 3719939. DOI: 10.1111/cei.12045. View

3.
Hagen R, Xu C, Koay H, Konstantinov I, Berzins S, Kedzierska K . Methodological optimisation of thymocyte isolation and cryopreservation of human thymus samples. J Immunol Methods. 2024; 528:113651. DOI: 10.1016/j.jim.2024.113651. View

4.
Gapin L, Matsuda J, Surh C, Kronenberg M . NKT cells derive from double-positive thymocytes that are positively selected by CD1d. Nat Immunol. 2001; 2(10):971-8. DOI: 10.1038/ni710. View

5.
Egawa T, Eberl G, Taniuchi I, Benlagha K, Geissmann F, Hennighausen L . Genetic evidence supporting selection of the Valpha14i NKT cell lineage from double-positive thymocyte precursors. Immunity. 2005; 22(6):705-16. DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2005.03.011. View