title: The plasticity of gamma delta T cells: innate immunity, antigen presentation and new immunotherapy.
abstract: Several signals influence dendritic cell (DC) functions and consequent the immune responses to infectious pathogens. Our recent findings provide a new model of intervention on DCs implicating human gammadelta T cell stimuli. Vgamma9Vdelta2 T cells represent the major subset of circulating human gammadelta T cells and can be activated by non-peptidic molecules derived from different microorganisms or abnormal metabolic routes. With activated-Vgamma9Vdelta2 T cell co-culture, immature DCs acquire features of mature DCs, such as increasing the migratory activity, up-regulating the chemokine receptors, and triggering the Th1 immune response. Similar to the NK-derived signals, DC activation is mediated by soluble factors as well as cell-to-cell contact. Many non-peptidic molecules including nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates and pyrophosphomonoester drugs, can stimulate the activity of Vgamma9Vdelta2 T cells in vitro and in vivo. The relatively low in vivo toxicity of many of these drugs makes possible novel vaccine and immune-based strategies against infectious diseases.
authors.affiliation: Unit of Cellular Immunology Fabrizio Poccia, National Institute for Infectious Diseases-IRCCS, Lazzaro Spallanzani, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Casetti
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martino
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017951:Antigen Presentation; D002450:Cell Communication; D016207:Cytokines / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D007167:Immunotherapy; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D009163:Mycobacterium bovis / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta