Distinct Bioenergetic Features of Human Invariant Natural Killer T Cells Enable Retained Functions in Nutrient-Deprived States.

ABSTRACT: Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells comprise a unique subset of lymphocytes that are primed for activation and possess innate NK-like functional features. Currently, iNKT cell-based immunotherapies remain in early clinical stages, and little is known about the ability of these cells to survive and retain effector functions within the solid tumor microenvironment (TME) long-term. In conventional T cells (T_CONV), cellular metabolism is linked to effector functions and their ability to adapt to the nutrient-poor TME. In contrast, the bioenergetic requirements of iNKT cells - particularly those of human iNKT cells - at baseline and upon stimulation are not well understood; neither is how these requirements affect effector functions such as production of cytokines and cytolytic p

SUBMITTER: Khurana P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8380770 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature