Our ability to manipulate these cells in antitumor therapeutics is critically dependent on our understanding of iNKT cell biology, including the factors that activate and regulate these cells during sterile and non-sterile conditions; the strong immunomodulatory ability of iNKT cells begs the question as to whether their activation in cancer patients, in combination with immune check point inhibitors, can enhance the frequency and quality of neo-antigen tumor-specific CD8+ and CD4+ T cell responses. This evidence concerns the gene CD8A and neoplasm.