Figure 2.

Adjuvant effect by invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cell-triggered dendritic cells (DCs) on protective antitumor responses. (1) Administration of adjuvant vector cells, including Tumor/Gal or aAVC initially stimulate iNKT cells. (2) The adjuvant vector cells are killed by iNKT cells and NK cells, and then tumor antigen released from them can be captured by endogenous CD11c⁺DCs. (3) The CD11c⁺ DCs then undergo iNKT cell-induced maturation. (4) The activated DCs can then induce an antigen-specific T cell response in the lymphoid tissues. Thus, the CD11c⁺DCs in situ are able to cross present tumor antigen, derived from phagocytosed adjuvant vector cells, to CD4⁺ or CD8⁺ T cells in an MHC-dependent manner.