Development of Efficiently Quantitative Analysis Targeting <i>α</i>-Galactosylceramide in FreeStyle 293-F Cells

α-Galactosylceramide (α-GalCer), a synthetic lipid that activates natural killer T cells, has been studied for administration as an active component of artificial adjuvant vector cells (aAVCs) for cancer therapy. A quantification method for α-GalCer content in the cells is essential to ensure the antitumor effect of aAVCs. In this study, a new analytical procedure was established using LC and tandem MS, with a lipid extraction method and internal standard method, and its analytical validation was performed. Furthermore, the procedure was applied to determine α-GalCer content in α-GalCer-loaded model cells, which are the original vector cells in aAVCs.