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Updated: Jun 22, 2026
11:11
Isolation and Expansion of Cytotoxic Cytokine-induced Killer T Cells for Cancer Treatment
Published on: January 24, 2020
Natural killer T cell-mediated immunotherapy for malignant diseases
Shinichiro Motohashi1, Toshinori Nakayama
1Department of Immunology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba 260-8670 Japan.
Frontiers in Bioscience (Scholar Edition)
|June 2, 2009
Summary
Invariant Natural Killer T (NKT) cells play a key role in tumor immunity. Restoring their numbers and function shows promise for effective cancer immunotherapy strategies.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Oncology
Background:
- Human invariant Valpha24 Natural Killer T (NKT) cells are unique lymphocytes defined by their T-cell receptor (TCR) Valpha24-Jalpha18 and Vbeta11 chains.
- These cells are crucial in tumor immunity, responding to the glycolipid alpha-Galactosylceramide by releasing cytokines that modulate other immune cells.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review quantitative alterations and functional impairments of Valpha24 NKT cells in cancer patients.
- To summarize the progress in NKT cell-based tumor immunotherapy.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on Valpha24 NKT cell numbers and functions in various cancers.
- Summary of clinical applications of NKT cell-based immunotherapy.
Main Results:
- Abnormalities in Valpha24 NKT cell numbers and functions are observed in patients with malignant diseases.
- NKT cells modulate NK cells, T cells, and dendritic cells upon activation.
Conclusions:
- Restoring adequate numbers of functional Valpha24 NKT cells is a logical therapeutic strategy for cancer treatment.
- NKT cell-based immunotherapy holds significant potential for cancer treatment.
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