Figure 4.

Expanded iNK T cells are highly autoreactive. Ex vivo expanded iNK T cells were stimulated by dendritic cells in the presence of absence of αGalCer for 16–48 hours. Activated iNK T cells were assessed for activation marker, 4–1BB after 16 hours of stimulation (A) and culture supernatants after 48 hours’ stimulation were used for comprehensive cytokine analysis (B). Significant portion of iNK T cells co-cultured with dendritic cells in the absence of agonist antigen, αGalCer, upregulated expression of activation marker, 4–1BB, and the percent 4–1BB⁺ iNK T cells were further increased with the addition of agonist antigen, αGalCer to co-culture Further, expanded iNK T cells produced both Th-1 and Th-2 type cytokines when co-cultured with dendritic cells only, and the production of various cytokines, especially Th-1 type cytokines such as TNFa, was significantly augmented when co-cultured with dendritic cells in the presence of αGalCer.