Mouse Anti-Human TCR Vα24 Antibody (S-4518)

TCR Vα24 (T-cell receptor Vα24 chain) is a specific variable region gene segment of the human T-cell receptor alpha chain, most notably characterized by its rearrangement with the Jα18 gene segment to pair with a specific Vβ11 chain, forming a semi-invariant T-cell receptor primarily expressed on a special subset of T cells known as Natural Killer T (NKT) cells (specifically Type I or classical NKT cells); this unique Vα24-Jα18/Vβ11 TCR combination enables NKT cells to recognize lipid antigens (such as α-galactosylceramide, α-GalCer) presented by CD1d molecules, rather than the peptide-MHC complexes recognized by conventional T cells, thereby allowing NKT cells to rapidly release large amounts of cytokines (such as IFN-γ and IL-4) upon activation, playing a pivotal bridging role in connecting innate and adaptive immunity, regulating autoimmune diseases, modulating anti-tumor immune responses, and defending against infections.