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iNKT cell autoreactivity: what is 'self' and how is it recognized?

Laurent Gapin1

  • 1Integrated Department of Immunology, University of Colorado Denver and National Jewish Health, 80206, USA. gapinl@njhealth.org

Nature Reviews. Immunology
|March 13, 2010
PubMed

Following stimulation through their T cell receptor, invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells function as innate effector cells by rapidly releasing large amounts of effector cytokines and chemokines and therefore have an important role in modulating the ensuing immune response. iNKT cells recognize, and are activated by, diverse glycolipid antigens, many of which are found in microorganisms. However, iNKT cells also show some reactivity to 'self'. Here, I outline our current understanding of iNKT cell autoreactivity and propose that several self lipids are probably involved in the positive selection and autoreactivity of iNKT cells.

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