Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells are specialized immune cells that exert a variety of antitumor responses, including direct cytolysis of certain tumors, and also the secretion of cytokines that indirectly promote the tumoricidal activity of other cytotoxic lymphocytes (e.g. CD8+ T-cells and NK cells). Using a number of strategies, researchers at the Center for Childhood Cancer Research (CCCR), including Hamid Bassiri, MD, PhD, are working to identify strategies by which to enhance the direct and the indirect antitumor activity of iNKT cells against specific pediatric malignancies.