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Gamma Delta T Cell Adjuvant and Ligands | UVM Innovations | University of Vermont

Gamma Delta T Cell Adjuvant and Ligands

UVM Reference Number: C769

Summary:

Expands the spectrum of T cell response to cancer and infectious disease, cancer specific compositions can provide personalized adjuvants

Background:

Gamma delta (γδ) T cells function at the interface between the innate and adaptive immune systems and can be harnessed to augment the immune response to cancer and infectious disease. Researchers have approached this therapeutic opportunity in two ways: a cell death driven adaptive response and an unbiased approach to identify human γδ T cells ligands.

Technology Overview:

By combining a caspase inhibitor with a cancer antigen, this cancer specific adjuvant composition can produce a gd driven immune response expanding the T cell response to that cancer. These methods can also be used to promote immune responses against infectious disease agents, especially those agents that induce long term chronic infections, such as Lyme disease.

Lack of understanding of the nature and physiological regulation of γδ T cell ligands has considerably hampered full understanding of the function of these cells. Researchers have developed an unbiased approach to identify human γδ T cells ligands via soluble TCR-γδ (sTCR-γδ) tetramer from a synovial Vδ1 γδ T cell clone from a Lyme arthritis patient. The sTCR-γδ was used in flow cytometry to identify ligands of the gd T cells, which will offer additional and more specific methods of gd manipulation

Further Details:

Detection of Cell Surface Ligands for Human Synovial γδ T Cells. Collins C et al PMC31548331
Glycolysis Induces MCJ Expression that Links T Cell Proliferation with Caspase-3 Activity and Death Secinaro et al PMID: 30915331
Necroptosis of Dendritic Cells Promotes Activation of γδ T Cells. Collins C et al PMC5002261

Benefits:

Captures cellular stress via induced cell death to augment the adaptive response.
Expands the spectrum of T cell response to cancer and infectious disease.
Cancer specific compositions can provide personalized adjuvants.