Harnessing NKT cells for therapeutic applications

Abstract

Activation of NKT cells leads to the maturation of dendritic cells and effficiently assists priming of antigen-specific immune responses. The lack of polymorphism of CD1d molecules and the evolutionary conservation of NKT cell responses highlight the important role of these cells in bridging innate and adaptive immune responses and advocate the value of harnessing this system in clinical settings. Compounds capable of fine tuning NKT cell activation should be actively exploited as potent adjuvants in vaccination strategies or as immunomodulators of autoimmune diseases. © Springer-Verlag 2007.