Focus on the controversial activation of human iNKT cells by 4-deoxy analogue of KRN7000

J Med Chem. 2009 Aug 13;52(15):4960-3. doi: 10.1021/jm900290r.

Abstract

4-Deoxy-alpha-GalCer analogues are considered weaker agonists than KRN7000 for the stimulation of human iNKT cells, but this remains strongly debated. In this work, we described a strategy toward 4-deoxy-alpha-GalCers with, as a key step, a metathesis reaction allowing sphingosine modifications from a single ethylenic alpha-galactoside precursor. The 4-deoxy-KRN7000 derivative 2, described here, induced potent cytokinic responses, comparable to those of KRN7000, both from human iNKT cells in vitro and from their murine counterpart in vivo.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adjuvants, Immunologic / chemical synthesis
  • Adjuvants, Immunologic / pharmacology*
  • Animals
  • Galactosylceramides / chemical synthesis
  • Galactosylceramides / pharmacology*
  • Humans
  • Interferon-gamma / biosynthesis
  • Interleukin-4 / biosynthesis
  • Lymphocyte Activation / drug effects*
  • Mice
  • Natural Killer T-Cells / drug effects*
  • Structure-Activity Relationship
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / biosynthesis

Substances

  • Adjuvants, Immunologic
  • Galactosylceramides
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
  • Interleukin-4
  • Interferon-gamma
  • KRN 7000