Differentiation of iNKT Cells from Embryonic Stem Cells

Natural killer T (NKT) cells are considered to be a good therapeutic target in diseases wherein the maintenance of immune balance is dysfunctional. Regardless of their nature as an immunomodulatory cell, realization of their clinical use has been hampered owing to the rarity of NKT cells and poor knowledge about the molecular mechanism underlying their dual nature in the immune system. The successful induction of NKT cells from embryonic stem cells prepared by somatic cell nuclear transfer and their autonomous maturation followed by an antigen-specific adjuvant effect upon adoptive transfer will open a novel avenue for the realization of cell therapy.