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An Optimized Method for Isolating and Expanding Invariant Natural Killer T Cells from Mouse Spleen
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Methods for Studying Mouse and Human Invariant Natural Killer T Cells
Yang Zhou1, Yan-Ruide Li1, Samuel Zeng1
1Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)
|September 15, 2021
Summary
Generating invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells is crucial for immune research. New protocols enable the creation and characterization of these vital cells from mouse and human sources.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells are T lymphocytes recognizing lipid antigens via CD1d.
- iNKT cells regulate immune responses in cancer, infection, autoimmunity, and allergy.
- Limited iNKT cell numbers hinder their study and application.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop protocols for generating iNKT cells from mouse and human sources.
- To enable the characterization of these generated iNKT cells in vitro and in vivo.
Main Methods:
- Generation of mouse iNKT cells from mouse mononuclear cells (mMNC-iNKT) or engineered hematopoietic stem cells (mHSC-iNKT).
- Generation of human iNKT cells from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (hPBMC-iNKT) or engineered HSCs (hHSC-iNKT).
- In vitro and in vivo characterization of generated mouse and human iNKT cells.
Main Results:
- Established protocols for generating sufficient quantities of mouse and human iNKT cells.
- Demonstrated methods for characterizing these iNKT cells, facilitating further research.
Conclusions:
- The described protocols overcome iNKT cell scarcity, enabling broader research and therapeutic applications.
- These methods provide a foundation for studying iNKT cell functions in various immune contexts.
