Tumor-specific cytolytic CD4 T cells mediate immunity against human cancer

Journal article

As the thymus involutes during aging, the T-cell pool has to be maintained by the periodic expansion of preexisting T cells during adulthood. A conundrum is that repeated episodes of activation and proliferation drive the differentiation of T cells toward replicative senescence, due to telomere erosion. This review discusses mechanisms that regulate the end-stage differentiation (senescence) of T cells. Although these cells, within both CD4 and CD8 compartments, lose proliferative activity after antigen-specific challenge, they acquire innate-like immune function. While this may confer broad immune protection during aging, these senescent T cells may also cause immunopathology, especially in the context of excessive inflammation in tissue microenvironments

Authors: Cachot, A; Bilous, M; Liu, Y-C; Li, X; Saillard, M

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Journal: Science Advances
• Volume: 7
• Issue: 9
• Pages: eabe3348
• Publication date: 2021-02-26
• DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abe3348
• EISSN: 2375-2548
• ISSN: 2375-2548
• Language: English
• Keywords: Cancer research; Immunology; Cellular immunity; Genetics; Cancer immunotherapy; Cytolysis; Immune system; Cancer; In vitro; Immunity; Cytotoxic T cell; Cytotoxicity; Immunotherapy; Biology