Investigating the recognition of lipid antigens in CD1d by Natural Killer T cells

This thesis examines how immune cells called natural killer T cells are activated by lipid molecules in our body. This is a fairly new area of research and it is key to understanding how to design new cures for autoimmune diseases. In addition, this thesis examines how natural killer T cells are activated by a lipid-based drug molecule inside the malaria vaccine. Understanding this is essential to create more efficient drugs.