Linfocitos NKT invariantes: ontogenia, fenotipo y función

Abstract

Invariant natural killer (iNK) T lymphocytes (iNKTL) were initially identified due to having similar characteristics to NK and T cells. Nowadays, it is known that these cells are T lymphocytes with unique characteristics, from their maturing process and differentiation in the thymus to the response at specific stimuli. Studies in mice have been useful for examining the maturing process and differentiation pathways of iNKTL. In these pathways the CD1d molecule has a fundamental role in the selection of their precursors, and also in the peripheral glycolipid presentation for the activation of iNKTL. Four sub-populations of iNKTL CD4⁺, CD8αβ⁺, CD8αα⁺ and Double Negatives, were identified in human peripheral blood. They particularly cooperate and interact with others immune cells. The information obtained by studying iNKTL opens the possibility of proposing this cell line as a therapeutic alternative, but further studies on the behavior of this type of lymphocyte are needed.