Akio Ohta

TL;DR: Findings indicate an important role for DC-produced IL-12 in the activation of NKT cells by α-GalCer and suggest that N KT cells may be able to condition DCs for subsequent immune responses and suggest a novel approach for immunotherapy of cancer.

Abstract: The natural killer T (NKT) cell ligand α-galactosylceramide (α-GalCer) exhibits profound antitumor activities in vivo that resemble interleukin (IL)-12–mediated antitumor activities. Because of these similarities between the activities of α-GalCer and IL-12, we investigated the involvement of IL-12 in the activation of NKT cells by α-GalCer. We first established, using purified subsets of various lymphocyte populations, that α-GalCer selectively activates NKT cells for production of interferon (IFN)-γ. Production of IFN-γ by NKT cells in response to α-GalCer required IL-12 produced by dendritic cells (DCs) and direct contact between NKT cells and DCs through CD40/CD40 ligand interactions. Moreover, α-GalCer strongly induced the expression of IL-12 receptor on NKT cells from wild-type but not CD1−/− or Vα14−/− mice. This effect of α-GalCer required the production of IFN-γ by NKT cells and production of IL-12 by DCs. Finally, we showed that treatment of mice with suboptimal doses of α-GalCer together with suboptimal doses of IL-12 resulted in strongly enhanced natural killing activity and IFN-γ production. Collectively, these findings indicate an important role for DC-produced IL-12 in the activation of NKT cells by α-GalCer and suggest that NKT cells may be able to condition DCs for subsequent immune responses. Our results also suggest a novel approach for immunotherapy of cancer.

TL;DR: It is demonstrated for the first time the distinct role of antigen-specific Th1 and Th2 cells during eradication of established tumors in vivo: the leukocyte function-associated antigen (LFA)-1–dependent cell–cell adhesion step was essential for Th1 cell therapy, but not for Th2 cell therapy.

TL;DR: In vivo injection of alpha-GalCer resulted not only in the activation of NKT cells but also in the generation of CD69(+)CD8(+) T cells possessing both cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) activity and IFN-gamma-producing ability.

TL;DR: It is suggested that several immunomodulating protocols using interleukin (IL)-12, IL-12 gene, the natural killer T cell ligand α-galactosylceramide, or Th1 cytokine-conditioned dendritic cells might be useful strategies for the induction of Th1-dominant immunity essential for the development of tumor-specific immunotherapy.