Current Progress and Prospects of NKT Cell Therapy
ZHAO Fanghao1,2#, CHEN Mengqing1,2#, CHEN Xuejiao1,2*, ZHOU Xin1,2*
NKTs (natural killer T cells) are a unique T cell subset that bridges innate and adaptive immunity. They express both TCRs (T cell receptors) and receptors associated with NKs (natural killer cells). Based on their TCR forms, they are classified into three types. Among them, iNKTs (invariant natural killer T cells) express a semi-invariant TCR and can recognize and kill tumor cells through the CD1d-dependent pathway. Simultaneously, iNKT cells can boost an anti-tumor response by rapidly secreting large quantities of cytokines to stimulate various immune cells after activation. Thus, iNKT cells are crucial players in anti-tumor immunity. Given the limited efficacy of CAR-T cell therapy in solid tumors and the growing demand for universal off-the-shelf immunotherapies, iNKT cells—which pose a low risk of GVHD (graft versus-host disease)—represent a promising cell source for engineered CAR-based cellular therapies. This review will summarize the characteristics and functions of NKT cells, the anti-tumor features of iNKT cells, and the current clinical translation and future developments of iNKT-based and CAR-iNKT cell therapies for cancer.
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