γδ T cells: origin and fate, subsets, diseases and immunotherapy

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Cellular Biology
• Cancer Research

Background:

• Immune system dysregulation drives disease complexity.
• Gamma delta (γδ) T cell immunotherapy shows potential for late-stage solid tumors and tuberculosis.
• Optimization of γδ T cell effector functions is crucial for immunotherapy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To comprehensively review γδ T cell immunology and their role in disease.
• To elucidate functional differences between γδ T cells and αβ T cells.
• To explore advancements and future strategies for γδ T cell-based immunotherapy.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on γδ T cell discovery and research milestones.
• Analysis of γδ T cell origin, development, and T cell receptor (TCR) rearrangement.
• Examination of anti-tumor and microenvironment-dependent functions of γδ T cell subsets.

Main Results:

• γδ T cells possess distinct functional properties compared to αβ T cells.
• Subtyping of γδ T cells based on γδTCR structure and cytokine profiles is vital for understanding function.
• γδ T cell subsets exhibit diverse roles in infectious diseases, autoimmune conditions, and malignancies.

Conclusions:

• γδ T cells represent a significant frontier in immunotherapy, particularly for solid tumors.
• Understanding γδ T cell biology is key to developing effective therapeutic strategies.
• Allogeneic γδ T cells hold promise for future cancer immunotherapy applications.