The role of NKT cells in gastrointestinal cancers

Autor: Julian Burks, Purevdorj B. Olkhanud, Jay A. Berzofsky
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2022
Předmět:
Zdroj: OncoImmunology, Vol 11, Iss 1 (2022)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 2162-402X
2162402X
DOI: 10.1080/2162402X.2021.2009666
Popis: Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers represent a complex array of cancers that affect the digestive system. This includes liver, pancreatic, colon, rectal, anal, gastric, esophageal, intestinal and gallbladder cancer. Patients diagnosed with certain GI cancers typically have low survival rates, so new therapeutic approaches are needed. A potential approach is to harness the potent immunoregulatory properties of natural killer T (NKT) cells which are true T cells, not natural killer (NK) cells, that recognize lipid instead of peptide antigens presented by the non-classical major histocompatibility (MHC) molecule CD1d. The NKT cell subpopulation is known to play a vital role in tumor immunity by bridging innate and adaptive immune responses. In GI cancers, NKT cells can contribute to either antitumor or protumor immunity depending on the cytokine profile expressed and type of cancer. This review discusses the complexities of the role of NKT cells in liver, colon, pancreatic and gastric cancers with an emphasis on type I NKT cells.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals