Grant: Project Grant - Priority Announcement: Infection and Immunity

Immunotherapy has transformed cancer treatment over the past two decades. The harnessing of the body's own immune system is the foundation of cancer immunotherapy. An important class of immune cells that participate in the recognition and elimination of tumors is the T-cell. We are studying a unique T-cell subpopulation known as gamma delta (gd) T cells that recently have been shown to have great potential for potent anti-tumor responses. Our research aims to advance the current understanding of gd T cell biology with the goal of developing enhanced strategies using these cells for the treatment of cancer. Unique advantages are offered by gd T cells, including their rapid expansion and the ability to target cancer cells without donor-patient compatibility. However, current approaches mainly focus on a subset of expanded gd T cells, which have limited efficacy. Our investigation has uncovered a more diverse subset of gd T cells with specialized cytotoxic capabilities, notably abundant in healthy individuals who have previously encountered a common virus, known as cytomegalovirus. This diverse pool holds promise as superior candidates for cancer therapy. Our goal is to fill a knowledge gap in our understanding of gd T cells, enabling us to devise more effective strategies for utilizing them in the development of cancer treatments that can benefit a wide range of patients, while being both more efficient and less burdensome.