RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Mucosa-associated microbiota drives pathogenic functions in IBD-derived intestinal iNKT cells JF Life Science Alliance JO Life Sci. Alliance FD Life Science Alliance LLC SP e201800229 DO 10.26508/lsa.201800229 VO 2 IS 1 A1 Burrello, Claudia A1 Pellegrino, Gabriella A1 Giuffrè, Maria Rita A1 Lovati, Giulia A1 Magagna, Ilaria A1 Bertocchi, Alice A1 Cribiù, Fulvia Milena A1 Boggio, Francesca A1 Botti, Fiorenzo A1 Trombetta, Elena A1 Porretti, Laura A1 Di Sabatino, Antonio A1 Vecchi, Maurizio A1 Rescigno, Maria A1 Caprioli, Flavio A1 Facciotti, Federica YR 2019 UL http://www.life-science-alliance.org/content/2/1/e201800229.abstract AB Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) pathogenesis has been linked to the aberrant activation of the Gut-associated lymphoid tissues against components of the intestinal microbiota. Although the contribution of CD4+ T helper cells to inflammatory processes is being increasingly acknowledged, the functional engagement of human invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells is still poorly defined. Here, we evaluated the functional characteristics of intestinal iNKT cells during IBD pathogenesis and to exploit the role of mucosa-associated microbiota recognition in triggering iNKT cells’ pro-inflammatory responses in vivo. Lamina propria iNKT cells, isolated from surgical specimens of active ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease patients and non-IBD donors, were phenotypically and functionally analyzed ex vivo, and stable cell lines and clones were generated for in vitro functional assays. iNKT cells expressing a pro-inflammatory cytokine profile were enriched in the lamina propria of IBD patients, and their exposure to the mucosa-associated microbiota drives pro-inflammatory activation, inducing direct pathogenic activities against the epithelial barrier integrity. These observations suggest that iNKT cell pro-inflammatory functions may contribute to the fuelling of intestinal inflammation in IBD patients.