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Updated: Feb 22, 2026

Intravital Imaging of Intraepithelial Lymphocytes in Murine Small Intestine
Published on: June 24, 2019
γδ T cells in homeostasis and host defence of epithelial barrier tissues
Morten M Nielsen1,2, Deborah A Witherden1, Wendy L Havran1
1Department of Immunology & Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, USA.
Abstract:
Epithelial surfaces line the body and provide a crucial interface between the body and the external environment. Tissue-resident epithelial γδ T cells represent a major T cell population in the epithelial tissues and are ideally positioned to carry out barrier surveillance and aid in tissue homeostasis and repair. In this Review, we focus on the intraepithelial γδ T cell compartment of the two largest epithelial tissues in the body - namely, the epidermis and the intestine - and provide a comprehensive overview of the crucial contributions of intraepithelial γδ T cells to tissue integrity and repair, host homeostasis and protection in the context of the symbiotic relationship with the microbiome and during pathogen clearance. Finally, we describe epithelium-specific butyrophilin-like molecules and briefly review their emerging role in selectively shaping and regulating epidermal and intestinal γδ T cell repertoires.
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