title: Type II NKT Cells and Their Emerging Role in Health and Disease.
abstract: NKT cells recognize lipid Ags presented by a class I MHC-like molecule CD1d, a member of the CD1 family. Although most initial studies on NKT cells focused on a subset with semi-invariant TCR termed invariant NKT cells, the majority of CD1d-restricted lipid-reactive human T cells express diverse TCRs and are termed type II NKT cells. These cells constitute a distinct population of circulating and tissue-resident effector T cells with immune-regulatory properties. They react to a growing list of self- as well as non-self-lipid ligands, and share some properties with both invariant NKT and conventional T cells. An emerging body of evidence points to their role in the regulation of immunity to pathogens/tumors and in autoimmune/metabolic disorders. An improved understanding of the biology of these cells and the ability to manipulate their function may be of therapeutic benefit in diverse disease conditions.
authors.affiliation: Section of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven CT 06510; madhav.dhodapkar@yale.edu vckumar@ucsd.edu.|Department of Immunobiology, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven CT 06510.|Yale Cancer Center, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510; and.
authors.forename: Madhav V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Dhodapkar
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037 madhav.dhodapkar@yale.edu vckumar@ucsd.edu.
authors.forename: Vipin
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kumar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007239:Infections / Q000276:immunology; D007249:Inflammation / Q000209:etiology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D055611:Natural Killer T-Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell