A Multifactorial Mechanism in the Superior Antimalarial Activity of -C-GalCer
Figure 7
Mechanism of -C-GalCer’s enhanced therapeutic effect against malarial liver stages: () -C-GalCer presented by CD1d molecules expressed on APCs stimulates, () enhanced (+) proliferation by V14i NKT cells relative to -GalCer, and () enhanced (+) activation and IL-12 release by APCs compared to -GalCer, which () induces augmented IFN- production by NK cells. This increased IFN- is responsible for () the better protection against malarial liver stages exhibited by -C-GalCer.