Decoding Functional Plasticity of γδ T Cells in Mosquito-Borne Diseases

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Publication Details

Journal
Immunological Investigations
Published
2026-09-14
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1080/08820139.2026.2724898
Primary Topic
Invertebrate Immune Response Mechanisms
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
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article

Decoding Functional Plasticity of γδ T Cells in Mosquito-Borne Diseases

Qingyuan Cheng, Liman Li, Feileyang Xie
Immunological Investigations
Invertebrate Immune Response Mechanisms
article

Decoding Functional Plasticity of γδ T Cells in Mosquito-Borne Diseases

Qingyuan Cheng, Liman Li, Feileyang Xie
article en

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Mosquito‑borne diseases (MBDs), caused by pathogens including dengue virus (DENV), West Nile virus (WNV), Zika virus (ZIKV), chikungunya virus (CHIKV) and "Plasmodium" species, pose a major global health threat with limited effective interventions. As a distinctive T‑cell subset, γδ T cells exert crucial immunoregulatory functions during infection owing to their unique tissue distribution and functional plasticity, yet their roles in MBDs remain incompletely understood. OBJECTIVES: This review summarizes the immunoregulatory mechanisms of γδ T cells in MBDs and discusses their potential as immunotherapeutic targets. METHODS: A systematic literature search was performed in PubMed using keywords such as "γδ T cells", "Plasmodium", "dengue virus" and "Zika virus". Relevant publications up to March 2026 were comprehensively reviewed. RESULTS: γδ T cells display dual protective and pathogenic effects across MBDs. They mainly confer protection against Plasmodium and CHIKV infections, while drive pathological responses in DENV and ZIKV infections. In WNV infection, γδ T cells activate immune cells and simultaneously induce blood‑brain barrier damage. CONCLUSIONS: γδ T cells exert multifaceted functions in MBDs. Elucidating their functional plasticity may provide insights for developing targeted immunotherapies against MBDs.

Immunological Investigations
Sichuan University (CN), West China Second University Hospital of Sichuan University (CN), West China Hospital of Sichuan University (CN)
Partnerships for the goals
Openalex Percentile: Top 17%
Invertebrate Immune Response Mechanisms
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