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Immune biology of Ag-specific γδ T cells in infections

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Abstract

Accumulating evidence suggests that human γδ T cells act as non-classical T cells and contribute to both innate and adaptive immune responses in infections. Vγ2 Vδ2 T (also termed Vγ9 Vδ2 T) cells exist only in primates, and in humans represent a dominant circulating γδ T-cell subset. Primate Vγ2 Vδ2 T cells are the only γδ T cell subset capable of recognizing microbial phosphoantigen. Since nonhuman primate Vγ2 Vδ2 T cells resemble their human counterparts, in-depth studies have been undertaken in macaques to understand the biology and function of human Vγ2 Vδ2 T cells. This article reviews the recent progress for immune biology of Vγ2 Vδ2 T cells in infections.

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Acknowledgments

The author thanks the Chen Lab staff for technical supports and suggestions. This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health R01 Grants; HL64560 and RR13601 (both to Z.W.C.).

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  1. Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Center for Primate Biomedical Research, University of Illinois College of Medicine Chicago, 909 S. Wolcott Ave, MC790; E704, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA

    Zheng W. Chen

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Correspondence to Zheng W. Chen.

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Chen, Z.W. Immune biology of Ag-specific γδ T cells in infections. Cell. Mol. Life Sci. 68, 2409–2417 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00018-011-0703-9

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