What lessons can be learned from γδ T cell-based cancer immunotherapy trials?

During the last several years, research has produced a significant amount of knowledge concerning the characteristics of human gamma delta T lymphocytes. Findings regarding the immune functions of these cells, particularly their natural killer cell-like lytic activity against tumor cells, have raised expectations for the therapeutic applications of these cells for cancer. Pharmaceutical companies have produced selective agonists for these lymphocytes, and several teams have launched clinical trials of gamma delta T cell-based cancer therapies. The findings from these studies include hematological malignancies (follicular lymphoma, multiple myeloma, acute and chronic myeloid leukemia), as well as solid tumors (renal cell, breast and prostate carcinomas), consisting of samples from more than 250 patients from Europe, Japan and the United States. The results of these pioneering studies are now available, and this short review summarizes the lessons learned and the role of gamma delta T cell-based strategies in the current landscape of cancer immunotherapies. Cellular & Molecular Immunology (2013) 10, 35-41; doi:10.1038/cmi.2012.39; published online 17 December 2012