title: Type I natural killer T cells: naturally born for fighting.
abstract: Type capital I, Ukrainian natural killer T cells (NKT cells), a subset of CD1d-restricted T cells with invariant Valphabeta TCR, are characterized by prompt production of large amounts of Th1 and/or Th2 cytokines upon primary stimulation through the TCR complex. The rapid release of cytokines implies that type capital I, Ukrainian NKT cells may play a critical role in modulating the upcoming immune responses, such as anti-tumor response, protection against infection, and autoimmunity. As a bridge between innate and adaptive immunity, type capital I, Ukrainian NKT cells differentiate and mature upon stimulations to achieve and maintain a homeostasis. Orchestrating with other arms of adaptive immunity, type capital I, Ukrainian NKT cells show strong cytotoxic effects in response to various tumors in a direct and/or indirect manner(s). This review will focus primarily on type capital I, Ukrainian NKT cell development, homeostasis, and effector functions, especially in anti-tumor immunity, and followed by their potential applications in treatment of cancers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Institute of Allergy and Immune-related Diseases and Center for Medical Research, Wuhan University School of Medicine, China. jinquan_tan@whu.edu.cn
authors.forename: Jin-quan
authors.initials: JQ
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: Lan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yu-ling
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: He
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016207:Cytokines / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D055611:Natural Killer T-Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines