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Updated: Apr 16, 2026

Artificial Antigen Presenting Cell aAPC Mediated Activation and Expansion of Natural Killer T Cells
Published on: December 29, 2012
Aminobisphosphonates inhibit dendritic cell-mediated antigen-specific activation of CD1d-restricted iNKT cells
Famke L Schneiders1, Charlotte M Huijts1, Aslihan Mantici1
1Department of Medical Oncology, VU University Medical Center, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Abstract:
CD1d-restricted invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells constitute an important immunoregulatory T cell subset that can be activated by the synthetic glycolipid α-galactosylceramide (α-GalCer) and initiate antitumor immune responses. As cancer patients are frequently treated with aminobisphosphonates (NBP), it is relevant to determine possible effects of NBP on CD1d-restricted glycolipid Ag-presentation to iNKT cells. We report a striking reduction of α-GalCer-induced iNKT cell activation by monocyte derived dendritic cells (moDC) upon their exposure to NBP during maturation. We found that production of apolipoprotein E (apoE), which is a known facilitator of trans-membrane transport of exogenously derived glycolipids, was significantly diminished in moDC exposed to NBP. As the inhibitory effect of NBP on iNKT cell activation was alleviated by exogenous apoE, our data indicate that reduced apoE production by antigen presenting cells (APC) through NBP limits glycolipid-induced iNKT cell activation. This should be taken into account in the design of iNKT cell-based anti-cancer therapies.
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