NKT cells are unique in that they can produce high levels of both Th1 and Th2 cytokines, yet little is known about how NKT cells control the transcription of Th2 cytokines. The expression of IL-4 by NKT cells is independent of the Th2-associated transcription factor Stat6. We have found that Stat6 is critical for the expression of IL-5, IL-10, and IL-13 by NKT cells. However, the Th2 cell-assoc...

Circulation Research is available at http://circres.ahajournals.org DOI: 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.116.304734 Rationale: CD4+ natural killer T (NKT) cells augment atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein E–deficient (ApoE)−/− mice but their mechanisms of action are unknown. Objectives: We investigated the roles of bystander T, B, and NK cells; NKT cell–derived interferon-γ, interleukin (IL)-4, and IL-21 cyto...

Natural killer T (NKT) cells regulate aspects of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory responses and contribute to the control of infections and chronic inflammatory diseases. During Trypanosoma cruzi infection both NKT cells and NK cells are critical to the protective response. How NKT cells interact and possibly regulate NK cells during infections remains uncertain. In vivo studies have demo...

alpha-Galactosylceramide (alphaGalCer) stimulates NKT cells and has antitumor activity in mice. Murine NKT cells may directly kill tumor cells and induce NK cell cytotoxicity, but the mechanisms are not well defined. Newly developed human CD1d/alphaGalCer tetrameric complexes were used to obtain highly purified human alphaGalCer-reactive NKT cell lines (>99%), and the mechanisms of NKT cell cyt...

Natural killer T (NKT) cells are a unique T cell subset that exhibits characteristics from both the innate immune cells and T cells. There are at least two subsets of NKT cells, type I and type II. These two subsets of NKT cells have opposite functions in antitumor immunity. Type I NKT cells usually enhance and type II NKT cells suppress antitumor immunity. In addition, these two subsets of NKT...

Natural killer T (NKT) cells are a unique subset of CD1d-restricted T lymphocytes that express characteristics of both T cells and natural killer cells. NKT cells mediate tumor immune-surveillance; however, NKT cells are numerically reduced and functionally impaired in lymphoma patients. Many hematologic malignancies express CD1d molecules and co-stimulatory proteins needed to induce anti-tumor...

RATIONALE CD4(+) natural killer T (NKT) cells augment atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE)(-/-) mice but their mechanisms of action are unknown. OBJECTIVES We investigated the roles of bystander T, B, and NK cells; NKT cell-derived interferon-γ, interleukin (IL)-4, and IL-21 cytokines; and NKT cell-derived perforin and granzyme B cytotoxins in promoting CD4(+) NKT cell atherog...

The dark side of NKT cells is revealed in a new study showing that they contribute to autoimmune arthritis in mice. On page 41, Kim et al. find that arthritis is worse in joints that are invaded by NKT cells. NKT cells are innate immune cells that express both NK and T cell markers, and are protective in many other models of autoimmune disease. The authors tested NKT function in K/BxN mice—an e...

Natural killer T (NKT) cells are a subset of CD1d-restricted T cells at the interface between the innate and adaptive immune system. NKT cells can be subdivided into functional subsets that respond rapidly to a wide variety of glycolipids and stress-related proteins using T- or natural killer (NK) cell-like effector mechanisms. Because of their major modulating effects on immune responses via s...

The nature of the regulatory cell types that dominate in any given tumor is not understood at present. Here, we addressed this question for regulatory T cells (Treg) and type II natural killer T (NKT) cells in syngeneic models of colorectal and renal cancer. In mice with both type I and II NKT cells, or in mice with neither type of NKT cell, Treg depletion was sufficient to protect against tumo...