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γδ-T cells: an unpolished sword in human anti-infection immunity

Cellular & Molecular Immunology volume 10, pages 50–57 (2013)Cite this article

Abstract

γδ-T cells represent a small population of immune cells, but play an indispensable role in host defenses against exogenous pathogens, immune surveillance of endogenous pathogenesis and even homeostasis of the immune system. Activation and expansion of γδ-T cells are generally observed in diverse human infectious diseases and correlate with their progression and prognosis. γδ-T cells have both ‘innate’ and ‘adaptive’ characteristics in the immune response, and their anti-infection activities are mediated by multiple pathways that are under elaborate regulation by other immune components. In this review, we summarize the current state of the literature and the recent advancements in γδ-T cell-mediated immune responses against common human infectious pathogens. Although further investigation is needed to improve our understanding of the characteristics of different γδ-T cell subpopulations under specific conditions, γδ-T cell-based therapy has great potential for the treatment of infectious diseases.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported in part by the Area of Excellence program on influenza, which is supported by the University Grants Committee of the Hong Kong SAR, China (Project No. AoE/M-12/06), the General Research Fund and the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong (HKU 777108M, HKU777407, HKU768108, HKU781211).

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  1. Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China

    Jian Zheng, Yinping Liu, Yu-Lung Lau & Wenwei Tu

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  1. Jian Zheng
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Correspondence to Wenwei Tu.

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Zheng, J., Liu, Y., Lau, YL. et al. γδ-T cells: an unpolished sword in human anti-infection immunity. Cell Mol Immunol 10, 50–57 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/cmi.2012.43

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