title: Vgamma9Vdelta2 T cell-mediated non-cytolytic antiviral mechanisms and their potential for cell-based therapy.
abstract: In healthy adult Homo sapiens, the most frequent circulating gammadelta T cells (Vgamma9Vdelta2) respond to pyrophosphomonoesters, alkylamines (together referred to as non-peptidic antigens, NpAgs) and nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates. The seemingly very low toxicity of bisphosphonate and pyrophosphomonoester drugs in vivo, may allow novel approaches to the immunotherapy of viral infections. For example, these drugs can be used to stimulate Vgamma9Vdelta2 T cells to release antiviral molecules that directly suppress virus replication without destroying the virus-replicating cells. In addition, the soluble molecules released by gammadelta T cells could boost the antiviral potency of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) and promote antigen presentation. The relative therapeutic value of drug-induced direct antiviral and immunoregulatory activities may depend on the infecting virus as well as on the nature of protective immune responses.
authors.affiliation: Unit of Cellular Immunology, National Institute for Infectious Diseases Lazzaro Spallanzani, IRCCS, Via Portuense 292, 00149 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Poccia
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Agrati
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Martini
authors.forename: Gloria
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mejia
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wallace
authors.forename: Miroslav
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Malkovsky
mesh_terms: D019264:Adoptive Transfer; D017951:Antigen Presentation / Q000276:immunology; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology*; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / Q000276:immunology*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000637:transplantation; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta