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Updated: Jul 14, 2026

Interview: Glycolipid Antigen Presentation by CD1d and the Therapeutic Potential of NKT cell Activation
Published on: December 31, 2007
NKT cells and autoimmune diseases: unraveling the complexity
1Department of Immunology, National Institute of Neuroscience, NCNP, 4-1-1, Ogawahigashi, Kodaira, 187-8502 Tokyo, Japan. miyake@ncnp.go.jp
Abstract:
CDld-restricted invariant natural killer T (NKT) cells emerge as unique lymphocyte subsets implicated in the regulation of autoimmunity. Abnormalities in the numbers and functions of NKT cells have been observed in patients with diverse autoimmune diseases as well as in animal models of autoimmune diseases. NKT cells recognize glycolipid antigens presented by the nonpolymorphic MHC class I-like protein CD1d and participate in various kinds of immunoregulation due to a potent ability to produce a variety of cytokines. In this review, we examine the potential roles of NKT cells in the regulation and pathogenesis of autoimmune disease and the recent advances in glycolipid therapy for autoimmune disease models.
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