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NKT Cells: Bridging Innate and Adaptive Immunity

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  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of AIDS

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Definition

Invariant natural killer T-cells (iNKTs) are an innate T-cell subset unique in their possession of an invariant T-cell Receptor (TCR) and nonclassical antigen presentation mechanism through the CD1d molecule. iNKTs recognize glycolipids presented on the nonpolymorphic major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I-like CD1d molecule, unlike conventional T-cells which recognize peptides presented on MHC class I/II molecules. iNKTs can rapidly produce multiple cytokines in response to activation. This rapid cytokine production allows iNKTs to be powerful modulators of the immune response. iNKTs can produce T-helper type 1 (Th1), Th2, and Th17 cytokines depending on stimulus strength, type of stimulation, iNKT subset, and presenting cell type. As a result, iNKTs are able to affect and modulate immune responses to a variety of diseases, both chronic and infectious – including a potentially important role in controlling human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. The ability of...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Tulane University School of Medicine; Tulane National Primate Research Center, 18703 Three Rivers Road, Covington, LA, 70433, USA

    Nell G. Bond & Amitinder Kaur

Authors
  1. Nell G. Bond
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  2. Amitinder Kaur
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Amitinder Kaur .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. Cell & Molecular Biology, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA

    Thomas J. Hope

  2. Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA

    Mario Stevenson

  3. University of California, San Diego Dept. Pathology, La Jolla, California, USA

    Douglas Richman

Section Editor information

  1. Division of Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit Street; Jackson 504, 02114, Boston, MA, USA

    Mathias Lichterfeld

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© 2016 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Bond, N.G., Kaur, A. (2016). NKT Cells: Bridging Innate and Adaptive Immunity. In: Hope, T., Stevenson, M., Richman, D. (eds) Encyclopedia of AIDS. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9610-6_198-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9610-6_198-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-9610-6

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