title: CD4 T-cell immunotherapy for chronic viral infections and cancer.
abstract: During chronic infections and cancer, T cells progressively lose function and become exhausted. However, effective T-cell responses are necessary to ultimately control viral infections and tumors. Hence, strategies that either restore endogenous immune responses or provide functional T cells by adoptive immunotherapy need to be explored. CD8 T cells play a prominent role in viral infections, as well as cancer, but CD4 T cells are necessary to support CD8 T-cell function. In addition, CD4 T cells exert direct effector functions, induce optimal B-cell responses and orchestrate innate immunity. Therefore, we propose that adoptive transfer strategies should exploit CD4 T cells alone or in combination with CD8 T cells, for the treatment of chronic infections and cancer. Furthermore, since adoptively transferred cells are subject to exhaustion, combining adoptive transfer therapy with immunotherapies that inhibit T-cell exhaustion should maximize the longevity and success rate of responses.
authors.affiliation: Emory Vaccine Center, Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, 1510 Clifton Road, Room G211, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
authors.forename: Alice O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Kamphorst
authors.forename: Rafi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ahmed
mesh_terms: D019264:Adoptive Transfer / Q000379:methods*; D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000637:transplantation; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy