THE SYNTHESIS OF DANSYL α-GALACTOSYLCERAMIDE: A FLUORESCENT PROBE TO TRACK GLYCOLIPID UPTAKE DURING CANCER IMMUNOTHERAPY

摘要

α-Galactosylceramide (α-GalCer, 1, Figure 1 A) has been found to be a potent adjuvant for cancer immunotherapy. It is capable of evoking an anti-tumour response by activating a subset of T cells known as the invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells. The T cell receptors (TCR) on iNKT cells recognise α-GalCer presented by dendritic cells (antigen presenting cells) via a surface protein called CD1d (Figure 1B), and this interaction initiates a cascade of intercellular signalling, resulting in the production of cytokines that are able to bias the immune system towards an anti-tumour response.