title: Fighting Viral Infections and Virus-Driven Tumors with Cytotoxic CD4+T Cells.
abstract: CD4+T cells have been and are still largely regarded as the orchestrators of immune responses, being able to differentiate into distinct T helper cell populations based on differentiation signals, transcription factor expression, cytokine secretion, and specific functions. Nonetheless, a growing body of evidence indicates that CD4+T cells can also exert a direct effector activity, which depends on intrinsic cytotoxic properties acquired and carried out along with the evolution of several pathogenic infections. The relevant role of CD4+T cell lytic features in the control of such infectious conditions also leads to their exploitation as a new immunotherapeutic approach. This review aims at summarizing currently available data about functional and therapeutic relevance of cytotoxic CD4+T cells in the context of viral infections and virus-driven tumors.
authors.affiliation: Immunopathology and Cancer Biomarkers, Traslational Research Department, IRCCS, C.R.O. National Cancer Institute , Aviano, Pordenone , Italy.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Muraro
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology and Blood Transfusions, San Bortolo Hospital , Vicenza , Italy.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Merlo
authors.affiliation: Immunopathology and Cancer Biomarkers, Traslational Research Department, IRCCS, C.R.O. National Cancer Institute , Aviano, Pordenone , Italy.
authors.forename: Debora
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Martorelli
authors.affiliation: Immunopathology and Cancer Biomarkers, Traslational Research Department, IRCCS, C.R.O. National Cancer Institute , Aviano, Pordenone , Italy.
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cangemi
authors.affiliation: Istituto Oncologico Veneto IOV-IRCCS , Padova , Italy.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dalla Santa
authors.affiliation: Immunopathology and Cancer Biomarkers, Traslational Research Department, IRCCS, C.R.O. National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Pordenone, Italy; Translational Research Institute, University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dolcetti
authors.affiliation: Istituto Oncologico Veneto IOV-IRCCS, Padova, Italy; Department of Surgery, Oncology and Gastroenterology, Oncology and Immunology Section, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rosato
keywords: CD4+ T cells; cytotoxicity; immunotherapy; viral infection; virus-driven tumors