The Expansion and Cytotoxicity Detection of Human iNKT Cells

Xue Cheng; Xiaosheng Tan; Rui Dou; Xiongwen Wu; Xiufang Weng

doi:10.1007/978-1-0716-1775-5_12

The Expansion and Cytotoxicity Detection of Human iNKT Cells

Methods Mol Biol. 2021:2388:131-137. doi: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1775-5_12.

Authors

Xue Cheng¹, Xiaosheng Tan¹, Rui Dou¹, Xiongwen Wu¹, Xiufang Weng²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
² Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China. wengxiufang@hust.edu.cn.

PMID: 34524668
DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1775-5_12

Abstract

Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cell is a type of innate-like T cell subsets with both T and NK cell phenotype and functions. They recognize lipid antigens presented by CD1d molecules and can be specifically activated by alpha-galactosylceramide (α-GalCer) in vitro. After activation, iNKT cells expand efficiently and exert direct killing effects. Based on it, we mainly introduce the protocols of detection of human iNKT cell functions in vitro, including in vitro expansion and their cytotoxicity to tumor cells.

Keywords: Cytotoxicity; Expansion; iNKT cells.

MeSH terms

Antigens, CD1d
Galactosylceramides
Humans
Lymphocyte Activation
Natural Killer T-Cells* / immunology
T-Lymphocyte Subsets / immunology

Substances

Antigens, CD1d
Galactosylceramides