Natural killer T cell checkpoint

"Natural killer T cell checkpoints" are molecular pathways comprising inhibitory receptors on NKT cells that regulate their immune activity. These checkpoints (including PD-1, CTLA-4, NKG2A, TIGIT, KIRs, and others) serve as brakes on immune responses by transmitting inhibitory signals upon ligand binding, often exploited by tumors and pathogens to evade immune destruction. Drugs targeting these receptors—checkpoint inhibitors—are being developed to reactivate antitumor immunity by reversing NKT (and more broadly, NK and T cell) dysfunction. The term does not denote a single, specific molecular entity but a group of inhibitory pathways central to the regulation of NKT cell responses in health and disease, most notably cancer and chronic infection.

Other names

Natural killer T cell immune checkpointNKT cell checkpointNKT inhibitory receptor

Blockade of inhibitory signals on NKT cells to restore or enhance antitumor immune activity Prevention of immune exhaustion and dysfunction Enhancement of cytokine production and cytotoxicity by NKT (and NK/T) cells