The role of natural killer T cells in liver transplantation.

Front Cell Dev Biol

Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, General Surgery Center, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China.

Published: January 2024

AI Article Synopsis

  • Natural killer T cells (NKTs) are unique immune cells found mostly in the liver, playing a crucial role in liver immunity by expressing both NK and T cell markers.
  • They are classified into Type I and Type II based on TCR usage, responding to lipid antigens via the CD1d molecule and can rapidly produce cytokines to influence immune responses in various ways.
  • The review highlights the role of NKT cell subpopulations in liver transplantation immunity, addressing challenges in current research while also touching on CD56-expressing T cells, a group that resembles NKTs.

Article Abstract

Natural killer T cells (NKTs) are innate-like lymphocytes that are abundant in the liver and participate in liver immunity. NKT cells express both NK cell and T cell markers, modulate innate and adaptive immune responses. Type I and Type II NKT cells are classified according to the TCR usage, while they recognize lipid antigen in a non-classical major histocompatibility (MHC) molecule CD1d-restricted manner. Once activated, NKT cells can quickly produce cytokines and chemokines to negatively or positively regulate the immune responses, depending on the different NKT subsets. In liver transplantation (LTx), the immune reactions in a series of processes determine the recipients' long-term survival, including ischemia-reperfusion injury, alloresponse, and post-transplant infection. This review provides insight into the research on NKT cells subpopulations in LTx immunity during different processes, and discusses the shortcomings of the current research on NKT cells. Additionally, the CD56-expressing T cells are recognized as a NK-like T cell population, they were also discussed during these processes.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10796773PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fcell.2023.1274361DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

nkt cells
20
natural killer
8
cells
8
killer cells
8
liver transplantation
8
immune responses
8
nkt
6
role natural
4
liver
4
cells liver
4

Similar Publications

The anti-tumor effect of the IFNγ/Fas chimera expressed on CT26 tumor cells.

Anim Cells Syst (Seoul)

January 2025

Department of Biochemistry, College of Natural Sciences, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, Korea.

Interferon gamma (IFNγ) is well-known for its ability to stimulate immune cells in response to pathogen infections and cancer. To develop an effective cancer therapeutic vaccine, CT26 colon carcinoma cells were genetically modified to express IFNγ either as a secreted form (sIFNγ) or as a membrane-bound form. For the membrane-bound expression, IFNγ was fused with Fas (mbIFNγ/Fas), incorporating the extracellular cysteine-rich domains, transmembrane, and cytoplasmic domains of Fas.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Recent studies have shown that Janus Kinase inhibitors can enhance the tumor therapeutic effect of immune checkpoint inhibitors. However, it remains to be studied whether TYK2 selective inhibitors can enhance the therapeutic effect of small molecule PD-L1 inhibitors in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). We verified the efficacy of the combination of the selective TYK2 inhibitor Deucravacitinib and the small molecule inhibitor of PD-L1, INCB086550, in two TNBC animal models: a syngeneic mouse model (4T1 with humanized PD-L1) and a peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC)-humanized model (MDA-MB-231).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Elephant in the room: natural killer cells don't forget HIV either.

Curr Opin HIV AIDS

December 2024

Division of Innate and Comparative Immunology, Center for Human Systems Immunology, Department of Surgery, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA.

Purpose Of Review: Like elephants (and T cells), accumulating evidence suggest natural killer (NK) cells never forget. The description of adaptive or memory NK cells, which can be induced by HIV/SIV infections and vaccines and associated with protective effects in persons with HIV (PWH), has dramatically increased the interest in leveraging NK cells to prevent HIV infection or suppress HIV reservoirs. However, harnessing their full antiviral potential has been hindered by an incomplete understanding of mechanisms underlying adaptive NK cell development and infected cell recognition.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Immunosenescence: Aging and Immune System Decline.

Vaccines (Basel)

November 2024

Department of Biological Sciences, Kean University, Union, NJ 07083, USA.

Immunosenescence, a systematic reduction in the immune system connected with age, profoundly affects the health and well-being of elderly individuals. This review outlines the hallmark features of immunosenescence, including thymic involution, inflammaging, cellular metabolic adaptations, and hematopoietic changes, and their impact on immune cells such as macrophages, neutrophils, T cells, dendritic cells, B cells, and natural killer (NK) cells. Thymic involution impairs the immune system's capacity to react to novel antigens by reducing thymopoiesis and shifting toward memory T cells.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Enhancement of Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Specific CD8 T Cell Responses with TIGIT Blockade Involves Trogocytosis.

Pathogens

December 2024

Immunology and Infectious Diseases Program, Division of BioMedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL A1B 3V6, Canada.

Natural killer (NK) and CD8 T cell function is compromised in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection by increased expression of inhibitory receptors such as TIGIT (T cell immunoreceptor with Ig and ITIM domains). Blocking inhibitory receptors or their ligands with monoclonal antibodies (mAb) has potential to improve antiviral immunity in general and facilitate HIV eradication strategies. We assessed the impact of TIGIT engagement and blockade on cytotoxicity, degranulation, and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) production by CD8 T cells from persons living with HIV (PLWH).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!