The significance of gamma-delta T cells in 33 different cancer types is revealed in a recent study that was published in Cell Press. This information sheds light on the cells' potential as clinical biomarkers and therapeutic targets in the treatment of cancer. This thorough examination, which was carried out under the direction of a group of Moffitt Cancer Center experts, marks a substantial breakthrough in our knowledge of these distinct immune cells and how they affect cancer therapy outcomes for patients.
Gamma-delta
T cells are a minority in the T cell population, but they are becoming more and
more valued for their capacity to activate both innate and adaptive immune
responses. The gamma-delta T-cell receptor landscape across 11,000 tumors was
analyzed by Moffitt researchers using a novel computational algorithm in
collaboration with scientists at Dartmouth College and Duke University. The
result is a comprehensive database that tracks the progression of cancer and
its response to different treatments, most notably immunotherapy.
"It's
like finding a needle in a haystack," said Xuefeng Wang, Ph.D., chair of
Moffitt's Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Department and the lead contact of
the study. "After two years of effort screening approximately 700 billion
tumor RNA sequencing reads, our algorithm distilled 3.2 million gamma-delta
T-cell reads, highly informative for the study of gamma-delta T-cell clones.
Our findings suggest that the diversity and clonality of gamma-delta T cells
can significantly impact patient survival and treatment efficacy."
As the
study evolves, researchers will expand the database by incorporating additional
T-cell receptor repertoires and functional annotations, including single-cell
RNA sequencing analyses. This ongoing work aims to deepen our understanding of
the functional roles of gamma-delta T cells in cancer and their interactions
within the tumor microenvironment.
"This
research not only expands our knowledge of gamma-delta T cells but also opens
new avenues for therapeutic strategies," Wang said. "By understanding
the specific roles of these cells in different cancers, we can better tailor
treatments to improve patient outcomes."
The
Immuno-Oncology Program and Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Shared Resources
at Moffitt provided critical support and represent leading research expertise
in computational immunology and personalized immunotherapy.
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