A New Type of T Cells Was Uncovered by Researchers

For most of the past four decades, it was considered that there were only two T cell lineages, αβ and γδ T cells, characterized by their cell surface expressed αβ and γδ TCRs, respectively. However, recently, biologists have found a previously unknown lineage, called γµ T cells, in the the spleen of gray short-tailed opossum.

“Our findings further illustrate the value of exploring the world’s biodiversity for novelty beyond the standard animal research models, such as laboratory mice,” said Professor Robert Miller, a researcher in the Department of Biology at the Center for Evolutionary and Theoretical Immunology at the University of New Mexico.

“Modern genomic tools applied to many species have opened the door to the myriad of immunological solutions to fighting pathogens that evolution has produced.”

“Our work may guide the development of veterinary approaches (e.g. novel vaccines) that will contribute to wildlife conservation,” said Dr. Jérôme Le Nours, a researcher at the Biomedicine Discovery Institute and the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Advanced Molecular Imaging at Monash University.

“This is a prime example of curiosity driven science leading to unexpected and transformative findings.”

The discovery is reported in an article in the journal Science:

https://science.sciencemag.org/content/371/6536/1383