Glycolipid ligands of invariant natural killer T cells as vaccine adjuvants

Abstract

Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells are a unique subset of T lymphocytes that recognize glycolipid antigens in the context of the antigen-presenting molecule CD1d. Upon glycolipid antigen stimulation, iNKT cells rapidly produce copious amounts of immunomodulatory cytokines, leading to potent activation of a variety of innate and adaptive immune cells. These immune-potentiating properties of iNKT cells hold great promise for the development of vaccine adjuvants. This review aims to summarize the immunomodulatory activities of iNKT cell ligands and to discuss prospects for developing iNKT cell-based vaccine adjuvants.

Keywords::

• α-galactosylceramide
• adjuvant
• antigen presentation
• CD1d
• glycolipid
• innate immunity
• invariant natural killer T cell

Financial & competing interests disclosure

Work in the authors’ laboratory was supported by grants from the NIH and a pilot and feasibility grant from the Diabetes Research and Training Center at Vanderbilt Medical Center. VV Parekh is supported by a postdoctoral fellowship from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.