title: Thymic maturation determines gammadelta T cell function, but not their antigen specificities.
abstract: gammadelta T cells contribute uniquely to host immune defense, but how they do so remains unclear. Recent work suggests that thymic selection does little to constrain gammadelta T cell antigen specificities, but instead determines their effector fate. When triggered through the T cell receptor, ligand-experienced cells make IFNgamma, whereas ligand-naïve gammadelta T cells produce IL-17, a major initiator of inflammation. These advances warrant a fresh look at how gammadelta T cells may function in the immune system.
authors.affiliation: The Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University, Beckman B255, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
authors.forename: Kirk D C
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.forename: Yueh-Hsiu
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Chien