γδ T Cell Therapy Development for Mycobacteria Infections

Antigen-specific γδ T cells play an important role in anti-mycobacterial immunity. The unique ability of Vγ2Vδ2 T cells to mount both innate-like and adaptive immune responses may allow these γδ T cells to respond rapidly to phosphoantigen-producing mycobacteria. Creative Biolabs provides highly effective immunotherapies towards mycobacteria infection based on the unique properties of γδ T cells for academic use. It’s our responsibility to promote your projects and boost the progress to clinical trials with the help of our advanced technologies, platforms, and resources.

Introduction

Mycobacteria are a specific group of bacteria with special characteristics, and capable of causing disease in both animals and humans. Tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), is one of the most prevalent and commonest serious infectious diseases worldwide. Mycobacterial infections regulate both innate and adaptive γδ T cell immune responses. The currently available vaccine, Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) as well as existing therapeutic interventions for TB, are at present suboptimal. New vaccines and immunotherapeutic strategies are urgently required to improve TB control efforts.

γδ T cells and Mycobacteria Infections

γδ T cells play a significant role in MTB infection. Vγ9Vδ2 T cells that exist in humans and the vast majority of nonhuman primates carry huge weight in mycobacterial infections. Vγ9Vδ2 T cells recognize HMBPP ((E)-4-hydroxy-3-methyl-but-2-enyl pyrophosphate) via forming tight complexes following binding with BTN3A1 during MTB infection. In the presence of costimulators, Vγ9Vδ2 T cells are subsequently activated and expanded. Compared with CD4+ T cells, HMBPP-activated Vγ9Vδ2 T cells produce a speck of IL-2 which contributes to the proliferation of unconventional T cells. After Vγ9Vδ2 T cells are activated and proliferated, T cell growth cytokines and Th17-related cytokines take part in the process to fight against MTB. In general, MTB phosphoantigen-activated γδ T cell produces TNF-α and IFN-γ to enhance the protective responses to MTB. Meanwhile, cytolytic effector function based on granulysin and perforin is essential for γδ T cells to defend against the MTB infections. Besides the above anti-MTB effects of γδ T cell, it is newly discovered that activated γδ T cell may stimulate the maturation of dendritic cells (DCs) to modulate other cells such as CD4 T helper cells and B cells to enhance the immune response to MTB.

Fig.1 γδ T cells in mycobacteria Infection. (Shiromizu, 2018)

What Can We Do for You?

Protective immunity against mycobacterial infections is mediated by interactions between specific γδ T cells and activated antigen presenting cells (APCs). According to the reported researches, the immune response of HMBPP-activated Vγ9Vδ2 T cells to fight against MTB is dependent on the secretion of cytokine, expression of cytolytic effector function, and maturation of DCs. At Creative Biolabs, γδ T cells-related or derived-products such as cell, antibody, cytokine, and isolation kit are available for worldwide customers. We provide a comprehensive suite of γδ T Cell Development services such as γδ T cell isolation, γδ T cell activation/expansion/characterization and γδ T cell production.

γδ T cell could be engineered through our advanced γδ T Cell Engineering technology. Treatments using tissues or blood-derived γδ T cells are suitable for use in allogeneic therapy and are unaffected by common issues associated with autologous, antigen-dependent approaches that may lead to toxicity, loss of efficacy or therapeutic resistance.

For any questions about γδ T cell, please feel free to contact us for more information.

Reference

1. Shiromizu, C. M.; Jancic, C. C. γδ T lymphocytes: an effector cell in autoimmunity and infection. Frontiers in immunology. 2018, 9: 2389.