Synthetic alpha-galactosylceramide (alpha GalCer) and its analogues as powerful agonists for natural killer T (NKT) cell manipulation have received significant attention in immunotherapy and adjuvant development. However, identifying new potent NKT cell agonists, especially those with Th1 selectivity that promote anticancer effects, remains a challenging task. In this work, we introduced a sulfonamide group into the acyl chain of alpha GalCer to form additional hydrogen bonds to intensify the glycolipid/CD1d interaction. Two compounds GCS-11 and GCS-12 demonstrated remarkable potency while exh...
