Description
CD8+ NKT cells are naturally occurring but rare T cells that express both T cell and natural killer (NK) cell markers. These cells may play key roles in establishing tolerance to self antigens; however, the mechanism of action and the molecular profiles of these cells are poorly characterized due to their extremely low frequencies. We developed a highly efficient in vitro conversion/expansion protocol for such cells and extensively characterized their functional and molecular phenotypes using a variety of genomic and immunological techniques.