The mechanisms of development and differentiation in Valpha14 NKT cells

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CD1d-restricted invariant natural killer T (NKT) cells bridge innate and acquired immunity and play an important role in both protective and regulatory responses. However, the developmental progression of NKT cells remains unclear. In the present study, we have demonstrated that NKT cell precursors that express invariant Vα14-Jα18 transcripts, but are devoid of surface expression of the invariant Vα14 receptor, have the potential to generate mature NKT cells both in vitro and in vivo. Our findings have provided new insights into the early development of NKT cells prior to surface expression of the invariant Vα14 antigen receptor and suggest a possible alternative developmental pathway of NKT cells.