Innate-like T cells, including invariant natural
killer T (iNKT) cells and mucosal
associated invariant T (MAIT) cells, are
associated with regulation of anti-tumour responses in human and mice, although
their exact role is not known. We have studied innate-like immune cells from
tumour, blood and bone marrow samples from patients undergoing treatment for
cancer and compared their characteristics with cells from healthy donors.
Contrary to some reports, we found that innate T cells are not broadly
deficient in overall frequency in patient groups, but that notable differences
exist in the distribution of functionally distinct subsets and their functional
capacity. We are characterizing the cytokine profiles of these subsets to
determine their likely significance in regulation of anti-tumour immunity and
their potential use as targets in immunotherapies