Time: Jan. 11th, 2018

Source: Biomedical Translational Research Institute

Author: Wang Zhengkun

Publisher: JNU News Center

Prof. Yin Zhinan of JNU's Biomedical Translational Research Institute and Prof. Zhou Libing of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration published a research paper titled Gamma delta T cells provide the early source of IFN-γto aggravate lesions in spinal cord injury in the Journal of Experimental Medicine on Dec. 27.

Immune responses and neuroinflammation are critically involved in spinal cord injury (SCI). γδ T cells, a small subset of T cells, regulate the inflammation process in many diseases, yet their function in SCI is still poorly understood. In this paper, we demonstrate that mice deficient in γδ T cells (TCRδ−/−) showed improved functional recovery after SCI. γδ T cells are detected at the lesion sites within 24 hours after injury and are predominantly of the Vγ4 subtype and express the inflammatory cytokine IFN-γ. Inactivating IFN-γ signaling in macrophages results in a significantly reduced production of proinflammatory cytokines in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of mice with SCIs and improves functional recovery. Furthermore, treatment of SCI with anti-Vγ4 antibodies has a beneficial effect, similar to that obtained with anti–TNF-α. In SCI patients, γδ T cells are detected in the CSF, and most of them are IFN-γ positive. In conclusion, manipulation of γδ T cell functions may be a potential approach for future SCI treatment.

Their research is supported and funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Programme of Introducing Talents of Discipline to Universities (111 Programme), the National Key Basic Research Programme of China (973 Programme), the Changjiang Scholars Programme of China, Guangdong Special Funds for Science and Technology Development (Frontier Technology and Key Technology Innovation Project) and Guangdong Innovation and Entrepreneurship Team Projects. Co-first authors are Dr. Sun Guodong of the First Affiliated Hospital of JNU; Yang Shuxian, a doctoral candidate; and Cao Guangchao, a post-doctoral researcher at JNU's Biomedical Translational Research Institute. Prof. Yin and Prof. Zhou are the project leaders.

Link to paper:

http://jem.rupress.org/content/early/2017/12/26/jem.20170686/tab-pdf