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Table 1 Antiviral activity of γδ T cell subsets in in various experimental models

From: Role of γδ T cells in controlling viral infections with a focus on influenza virus: implications for designing novel therapeutic approaches

Viral infection

Experimental model

γδ subsets

Antiviral mechanism

References

HCV

Co-cultures of Rep60 cells with either patients’ or healthy donors’ PBMC, or highly purified γδ T cells

Vγ9Vδ2

Vγ9Vδ2 T cell-mediated IFN-γ-dependent anti-HCV activity

[86]

HIV

Infection of PBMCs of healthy donors with HIV

Vγ9Vδ2

HIV replication inhibition as a result of releasing CCR5 ligand chemokines by activated Vγ9Vδ2 T cells

[91]

PBMCs of healthy donors and HIV-1-infected patient, as well as HIV-1-infected PM1 cell line

Vδ1

NKp30-induced Vδ1 T cell-mediated HIV-1 replication inhibition through β chemokines production

[92]

Co-culture of γδ T cell-enriched from PBMCs of HIV+ and healthy donors with HIV-infected CD4+ T cells

Vδ1+

A significant increase in Vδ1+ T cells expressing an activating NKG2C receptor in HIV-infected patients, compared with healthy donors

NKG2C-induced Vδ1+ T cell-mediated cytotoxicity in response to HIV infected- CD4 T cells expressing NKG2C ligand

A possible involvement of NKG2C-bearing Vδ1 T cells in reducing the number of CD4+ T cells observed in HIV+ persons with chronic untreated viraemia

[77]

Vδ1+ T cell-mediated killing of infected cells in a perforin-dependent mechanism

[76]

A single cell line p815 coated with rabbit antibodies specific to p815 cells, as target cells accompanied by PBMs isolated from HIV+ and HIV donors, as effector cells

Vγ2Vδ2

CD16-mediated ADCC by Vγ2Vδ2 T cells against antibody coated target cells

The potential capacity of CD16+ Vδ2+ T cells as potent ADCC effector cells to control HIV-1 disease progression

[78]

EBV

Co-culture of Vγ9Vδ2 derived from seropositive EBV health donors’ PBMC with EBV-transformed autologous lymphoblastoid B cell lines (EBV-LCL)

Inoculation of EBV-LCL to humanized Rag2−/− γc−/− mice

Vγ9Vδ2

Cytotoxic activity of Vγ9Vδ2 T cells against EBV-LCL based on NKG2D triggering, as well as Fas/FasL- and TRAIL-mediated apoptosis

A possible involvement of IFN-γ in Vγ9Vδ2 T cell-mediated suppression of EBV-LCL proliferation in humanized mice

The potential function of Vγ9Vδ2 T cells in the control of EBV-induced lymphoproliferative disease (EBV/LPD) by killing of EBV-LCL in humanized mice

[79]

SIV

Macaques model of SIV infection

Vδ1/Vδ2

NKG2D-, IFN-γ-, and granzyme B-mediated antiviral activity of γδ T cells

[93]

SARS-CoV

Co-culture of Vγ9Vδ2 T cell lines isolated from PBMC of patient and healthy donors with SARS-CoV-infected THP-1 cells, a human monocyte cell line

Vγ9Vδ2

Anti-SARS activity mediated by Vγ9Vδ2 T cells in an IFN-γ-dependent mechanism

The possible engagement of NKG2D in triggering the cytolytic activity of Vγ9Vδ2 T cells against SARS-CoV-infected cells

[94]

ZIKV

Co-culture of ZIKV-infected A549 cells with PBMC of healthy donors

Vδ2+

NKG2D-mediated perforin release by Vδ2+ T cells in response to ZIKV-infected virus expressing NKG2D ligands

[80]

DV

Co-cultures of autologous DV-infected dendritic cells with either patients’ or healthy donors’ PBMC, PBL, or purified γδ T cells

pan γδ

γδ T cell-mediated rapid anti-DV activity by producing IFN-γ and up-regulating CD 107a as a marker of degranulation

Monocyte-mediated enhancement of γδ T cell responses against DV-infected cells in an IL-18-dependent manner

[95]

HCMV

Incubation of γδ T cell lines isolated from KTRs or healthy donors with IgG opsonized HCMV-infected fibroblasts

Vδ2neg

Co-operation of HCMV-induced CD16+ Vδ2neg T cells with anti-HCMV IgG recognizing infected cells to suppress virus propagation in an INF-γ-dependent mechanism

Synergistic effects of IL-12 and IFN-α produced during HCMV infection on the enhancement of CD16-induced IFN-γ secretion

[90]

Incubation of γδ T cell colons from patients’ or healthy donors’ PBMCs with models of HCMV infection in cell lines

HLA- and NKG2D-unrestricted TCR-mediated recognition and killing of CMV-infected cells by Vδ2neg T cells in a perforin/granzyme B dependent pathway

[96]

MCMV

Normal and γδ T-cell-depleted mice

Vγ1+

The ability of IFN-γ-producing Vγ1+ T cells to respond quickly to HSP65 induced at early phase of MCMV infection

A possible role of IL-12 and/or TNF-α produced during MCMV infection in increasing IFN-γ secretion by Vγ1+ T cells

[85]

WNV

Normal, αβ- and γδ-TCR deficient mice

pan-γδ

IFN-γ-mediated antiviral immunity against WNV infection provided by γδ T cells

γδ T cell-induced perforin-mediated cytotoxicity

[75]

VV

Normal, αβ- and γδ- TCR deficient mice

pan-γδ

The critical function of γδ T cells in mediating innate immunity by rapid recruitment to the site of infection, as well as by rapid response to VV infection in an IFN-γ dependent mechanism

[83]

VSV

Normal and T cell deficient mice

pan-γδ

A possible role of γδ T cells as an alternative pathway in antibody isotype switching from VSV-specific IgM to IgG in αβ T cell-deficient mice via an IFN-γ-dependent manner

[82]

CNPV

Vaccination of human volunteers with live recombinant CNPV

Vγ9+

Expansion of CNP-specific IFN-γ-producing Vγ9+ T cells, as well as enhanced activity of NK cells (probably mediated by γδ T cells) in recipients of CNP vaccine

A possible contribution of γδ T cell- and NK-produced IFN-γ to develop protective type-1 memory immunity during primary immune responses

[97]

HSV-1

The mouse model for corneal infection with HSV-1

pan-γδ

A dominant protective role for IFN-γ produced by γδ T cells, as well as macrophage-derived TNF-α and nitric oxide at early stages of HSV-1 infection

A possible role of γδ T cells and macrophages as the early line of defense during acute HSV-1 proliferation in reducing the recurrence rate of herpetic disease

[84]

HSV-induced cytotoxic activity of PBMCs from immune healthy donors and target cells

Vγ9Vδ2 (< 80%)

CD4 CD8 γδ T cell-mediated Killing of HSV-infected cells in an HLA-independent manner

A possible involvement of accessory molecules like LFA-1 as an enhancer of TCR signaling in γδ T cell-mediated cytotoxic activity

[98]

CVB3

C57BL/6, BI.Tg.Eα, and γδ knockout mice

Vγ1+/Vγ4+

The contribution of γδ+ T cell subpopulations to host susceptibility to CVB3-induced myocarditis

MHC class II antigen (IA and IE) restricted clonal selection of Vγ subpopulations during thymic development

Promotion of CVB3-induced myocardial inflammation in BI.Tg.Eα [IAIE+] mice by Vγ4+ T cells-mediated Th1-biased immunity

T cell expressing Vγ1 gene-mediated suppression of CVB3-induced inflammatory damage in C57BL/6 [IA+IE] mice by modulating Th2-biased immunity

[99]

  1. HCV, Hepatitis C virus; Rep60, human hepatoma Huh7 cell line harboring HCV replicon; PBMCs, peripheral blood mononuclear cells; HIV, human immunodeficiency virus; MIP, macrophage inflammatory protein; RANTES, regulation on activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted; P815, mouse leukemia cell line; ADCC, antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity; EBV, Epstein–Bar virus; SARS-CoV, severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus; ZIKV, Zika virus; DV, dengue virus; PBL, peripheral blood lymphocytes; HCMV, human cytomegalovirus; KTRs, kidney transplant recipients; HLA, human leukocyte antigen; MCMV, murine cytomegalovirus; HSP65, heat-shock protein 65; WNV, West Nile virus; VV, vaccinia virus; VSV, vesicular stomatitis virus; CNPV, canarypox virus; HSV-1, herpes simplex virus type 1; LFA-1, lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1; CVB3, coxsackievirus B3