ABSTRACT
Natural killer T (NKT) cells are innate natural killer (NK)-like cells that express a limited repertoire of T cell receptors (TCRs). Akin to other innate cells, NKT cells acquire functional characteristics during development in the thymus. Similar to mature effector T cells, murine NKT cells have been subdivided into effector subsets based on expression of transcription factors Gata3, RORγt, or Tbet, and by the cytokine expression. In this chapter we have attempted to place the available research on human and murine NKT cells side by side even though making direct connections remains challenging, as research in the two species has progressed independently.
