Unconventional T Cell Subtype Is Competent Virus Fighter

A collaborative group of scientists led by investigators at the University of Birmingham have just identified a novel role for an enigmatic and unconventional subset of immune cells known as gamma delta T cells (γδ T cells). The researchers examined how this subtype of T cell responded to a virus infection called cytomegalovirus. They found that when these T cells detected signs of the virus infection, they both increased in numbers and became “licensed to kill.” Findings