Role of CD4⁺ Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes in the Control of Viral Diseases and Cancer

Abstract

Our knowledge on the physiological role of CD4⁺ T lymphocytes has improved in the last decade: available data convincingly demonstrate that, besides the ‘helper’ activity, CD4⁺ T cells may be also endowed with lytic properties. The cytotoxic function of these effector cells has a relevant role in the control of pathogenic infections and in mediating antitumor immune responses. On these bases, several immunotherapeutic approaches exploiting the cytotoxic properties of CD4⁺ T cells are under investigation. This review summarizes available data supporting the functional and therapeutic relevance of cytotoxic CD4⁺ T cells, with a particular focus on Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-related disorders.

Keywords :

• cytotoxicity
• CD4⁺ T cells
• Epstein-Barr virus
• cancer

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This study was supported in part by grants from the European Community (FP6 VITAL, Contract no. 037874), Alleanza Contro il Cancro (ACC-4), the Italian Ministry of Health, Federica Per La Vita Foundation, and the Associazione Italiana per la Ricerca sul Cancro.