Natural killer T cells as therapeutic targets for neuroinflammatory disorders.
- 1Department of Integrative Bioscience and Biotechnology, Institute of Anticancer Medicine Development, Sejong University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
- 2Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, College of Health and Biomedical Services, Sangji University, Wonju, Republic of Korea.
- 3Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA.
Abstract
Natural killer T (NKT) cells are innate-like T lymphocytes that express natural killer (NK) cell receptors (NKRs), which recognize glycolipid antigens presented by the MHC class I-like protein CD1d, linking innate and adaptive immunity. NKT cells include two main subsets, type I and type II, which differ in TCR usage and antigen specificity. In addition, NKT-like cells, which express NKRs but are CD1d-independent, have attracted growing interest in neuroimmunology. These NKR-expressing T cells play important roles in either promoting or suppressing pathological conditions within the brain. This review overviews recent advances in understanding NKT cells in immune disorders of the central nervous system (CNS), including neurodegenerative diseases, neuroinflammation, autoimmune diseases, brain injury, and CNS malignancies, such as glioblastoma. By interacting with CD1d on non-immune cells (e.g. astrocytes) and immune cells (e.g. microglia) through their TCR, type I NKT cells help maintain or disrupt immune homeostasis in the CNS. In addition, exogenous ligands, such as alpha-galactosylceramide, can modify type I and type II NKT cell phenotypes and promote regulatory functions in NKT-like cells, which may mitigate excessive inflammation. This review provides insights into how NKT cell subsets could serve as therapeutic targets for neuroinflammatory diseases.
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BibTeX
@article{park2026natural,
title = {{Natural killer T cells as therapeutic targets for neuroinflammatory disorders.}},
author = {Hyun Jung Park and Sung Won Lee and Tae-Cheol Kim and Yun Hoo Park and Luc Van Kaer and Seokmann Hong},
journal = {Animal cells and systems},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1080/19768354.2026.2746896},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42910324},
note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Natural killer T cells as therapeutic targets for neuroinflammatory disorders.
AU - Hyun Jung Park
AU - Sung Won Lee
AU - Tae-Cheol Kim
AU - Yun Hoo Park
AU - Luc Van Kaer
AU - Seokmann Hong
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/18
JO - Animal cells and systems
DO - 10.1080/19768354.2026.2746896
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42910324
AB - Natural killer T (NKT) cells are innate-like T lymphocytes that express natural killer (NK) cell receptors (NKRs), which recognize glycolipid antigens presented by the MHC class I-like protein CD1d, linking innate and adaptive immunity. NKT cells include two main subsets, type I and type II, which differ in TCR usage and antigen specificity. In addition, NKT-like cells, which express NKRs but are CD1d-independent, have attracted growing interest in neuroimmunology. These NKR-expressing T cells play important roles in either promoting or suppressing pathological conditions within the brain. This review overviews recent advances in understanding NKT cells in immune disorders of the central nervous system (CNS), including neurodegenerative diseases, neuroinflammation, autoimmune diseases, brain injury, and CNS malignancies, such as glioblastoma. By interacting with CD1d on non-immune cells (e.g. astrocytes) and immune cells (e.g. microglia) through their TCR, type I NKT cells help maintain or disrupt immune homeostasis in the CNS. In addition, exogenous ligands, such as alpha-galactosylceramide, can modify type I and type II NKT cell phenotypes and promote regulatory functions in NKT-like cells, which may mitigate excessive inflammation. This review provides insights into how NKT cell subsets could serve as therapeutic targets for neuroinflammatory diseases.
SN - 1976-8354
SN - 2151-2485
ER -