A Privileged View of NKT Cells and Peripheral Tolerance Through the Eye

Eye

The Eye chapter of the 3rd edition of Haschek and Rousseaux’s Handbook of Toxicologic Pathology brings a comprehensive description of pathological processes affecting the ocular tissues in the most commonly used laboratory animals and their correlations with human diseases of interest in toxicology. Also presented are detailed descriptions of the structure and function of the different ocular tissues, the most advanced techniques applied in the toxicological evaluation of the eye, useful animal models of human disease, and known mechanisms of ocular toxicity. The introductory sections of the chapter also feature such essential topics as ocular embryology, an overview of clinical ophthalmic evaluation, and eye-specific techniques of tissue processing.

Invariant NKT cells and tolerance

Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells are innate cells that can bias an immune response toward inflammation or toward a negative regulatory response. iNKT cells can produce cytokines immediately on exposure to activating signals, but the role of iNKT cells in the differentiation of T regulatory (Treg) cells and peripheral tolerance was elucidated only within the past decade. The purpose of this review is to outline the current knowledge of how iNKT cells function in various tolerance paradigms. The roles of iNKT cell in anterior chamber-associated immune deviation (ACAID), oral tolerance, other tolerance systems, and autoimmune diseases is discussed.

Natural killer T cells and haemopoiesis

Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells are a small but powerful subset of regulatory T cells involved in the modulation of a variety of normal and pathological immune responses. In contrast to conventional or other types of regulatory T cells, they are activated by glycolipid and phospholipid ligands that are presented to them by the non-polymorphic, major histocompatibility complex class I-like molecule CD1d. The in-depth understanding of their function has resulted in successful, iNKT cell-centred experimental therapeutic interventions including prevention of graft-versus-host disease and anti-leukaemia effects. Extending these successes into the clinical arena will require better understanding of their contribution to the pathogenesis of human, including haematological, diseases.