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Fig. 2 | Journal of Translational Medicine

Fig. 2

From: Correction to: Gamma-delta (γδ) T cells: friend or foe in cancer development?

Fig. 2

(Parts of this figure are adapted from Van Acker et al.)

Antitumor and protumor functions of γδ T cells. γδ T cells have both direct and indirect antitumor effects. Direct antitumor effects are mediated by lysing the tumor through the perforin-granzyme pathway, providing an early source of the inflammatory cytokines such as IFN-γ and TNF-α, eliminating Fas+ and TRAIL-R+ tumor cells, and ADCC. The indirect antitumor role of γδ T cells is mediated by polarized γδ Tfh cells, which promote B-cell antibody secretion. Besides, γδ T cells also present antigens for αβ T cell priming, trigger dendritic cell (DC) maturation, and induce robust NK cell-mediated antitumor cytotoxicity to play indirect antitumor role. With regard to their protumor effect, γδ T cells can polarize into FOXP3+ γδ Treg cells, and γδ T17 cells. In addition, Vδ1 T cells are another subset of γδ T cells that possess protumor activity. γδ T cells are able to directly impair αβ T cells and DC antitumor immunocyte function. γδ T cells can also enhance MDSC, SPM, and neutrophil immunosuppressive functions. Together, these actions promote tumor angiogenesis, growth, proliferation, metastasis, and immune escape

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