About this Research Topic

Background

This Research Topic is the second volume of the “Optimized Gene-Engineering and Combination Therapies to Boost γδT Cell Immunotherapeutic Performance” Community Series. Please see Volume I here.

The field of γδT cell-based immunotherapies for cancer is emerging as a promising alternative to traditional CAR-αβT cell approaches, which face challenges such as complex manufacturing logistics and limited efficacy against solid tumors. Despite the potential of γδT cells, early clinical trials with unmodified autologous and allogeneic γδT cell subsets have shown underwhelming results. These cells, like other adoptive cell therapies, are susceptible to suppression by the tumor microenvironment, functional exhaustion, and lack of persistence. Recent studies highlight the necessity of integrating gene-engineering and combination therapies to enhance the therapeutic performance of γδT cells. However, the literature on γδT cell engineering strategies and combination therapies remains sparse, with few direct comparisons between unmodified and engineered γδT cells or among different engineering strategies. Additionally, the exploration of γδT cell therapies in combination with therapeutic adjuvants is often limited to in vitro pre-treatment with bisphosphonate drugs, indicating a need for broader evaluation with other agents such as checkpoint blockers and chemotherapeutic drugs.

This Research Topic aims to explore and evaluate strategies to enhance the efficacy of γδT cell immunotherapies for cancer treatment, focusing on optimized gene-engineering and the use of combination therapies. The goal is to address specific questions regarding the optimal engineering strategies for γδT cells and their synergistic use with various therapeutic agents. By fostering a deeper understanding of these approaches, the research seeks to identify constructs and combinations that can significantly improve the clinical outcomes of γδT cell-based therapies.

To gather further insights in the optimization of γδT cell immunotherapies, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:
- Gene-engineering strategies optimized for use in γδT cells
- Using γδT cells in combination with immunomodulatory drugs
- Boosting γδT cell therapeutic persistence
- γδT cells in combination with chemotherapeutic approaches
- Comparison of different γδT cell engineering modalities

Manuscripts that focus solely on bioinformatics or computational analysis without robust validation are considered out of scope for this topic.

Topic editor Dr. Daniel Abate-Daga is an inventor, co-inventor in patents, or co-author of patent applications filed by the Moffitt Cancer Center, including one application involving gamma/delta CAR-T cells. All other Topic Editors declare no competing interests with regards to the Research Topic subject.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Classification
• Clinical Trial
• Editorial
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Classification
• Clinical Trial
• Editorial
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Study Protocol
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: γδT Cell Immunotherapy, cancer Immunotherapy, Car-T Cells

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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