Natural killer T cells in pulmonary disorders.
Natural killer T (NKT) cells, a unique subgroup of lymphocytes with features of both T and natural killer (NK) cells, represent a bridge between innate and adaptive immunity. They have the ability to either promote or suppress immune responses. With these immunoregulatory functions, NKT cells have emerged as an important subset of lymphocytes with a protective role in some disorders, such as infections, cancer, and possibly sarcoidosis, and a pathogenic role in others, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and hypersensitivity pneumonitis. Immunotherapeutic interventions to modulate the immune response by targeting iNKT cell functions has become a challenging field and has shown promising results for the development of new therapies.
University Clinic of Respiratory and Allergic Diseases, Colnik, Slovenia. matija.rijavec@klinika-golnik.si
Matija
M
Rijavec
Sinisa
S
Volarevic
Katarina
K
Osolnik
Mitja
M
Kosnik
Peter
P
Korosec
D056704:Adaptive Immunity; D001249:Asthma / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy; D017563:Lung Diseases, Interstitial / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D055611:Natural Killer T-Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology