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γδ T cells in artiodactyls: Focus on swine
Lauren Le Page1, Cynthia L Baldwin1, Janice C Telfer1
1Department of Veterinary & Animal Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA.
Developmental and Comparative Immunology
|December 17, 2021
Summary
Swine gamma delta (γδ) T cells offer significant potential for improving livestock vaccine efficacy due to their unique immune functions. Understanding their biology is key to developing optimized vaccine strategies for disease prevention.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Veterinary Medicine
- Vaccinology
Background:
- Livestock vaccines require improved efficacy for disease prevention.
- Swine are a unique species with a high proportion of gamma delta (γδ) T cells, offering potential for immune response modulation.
- γδ T cells possess innate-like properties, including MHC-independent antigen recognition and cytokine production, making them attractive targets for vaccine development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the current knowledge on the biology, receptor expression, and infectious disease responses of swine γδ T cells.
- To highlight the potential of swine γδ T cells in vaccine optimization strategies.
- To explore how understanding γδ T cell functions can lead to next-generation vaccine constructs.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on swine immunology, focusing on γδ T cells.
- Analysis of γδ T cell characteristics, including tissue homing, cytokine secretion, and antigen presentation capabilities.
- Examination of γδ T cell subpopulations, distinguished by workshop cluster 1 (WC1) and pattern recognition receptors (PRRs).
Main Results:
- Swine γδ T cells exhibit potent pro-inflammatory and regulatory cytokine production (e.g., interferon-γ, interleukin-17).
- They possess innate-like antigen recognition, including non-peptide antigens, independent of MHC presentation.
- γδ T cells can function as antigen-presenting cells and exhibit memory responses, contributing to protective immunity.
Conclusions:
- Swine γδ T cells are crucial immune players with significant potential for enhancing vaccine efficacy.
- Targeting γδ T cells could lead to novel vaccine strategies for improved livestock disease prevention.
- Further research into swine γδ T cell biology is essential for harnessing their full immunomodulatory capacity.
