γδ T Cell Inhibition Leads to Increased Neuroblastoma Tumor Growth in an Immunocompetent Murine Model

Abstract

Neuroblastoma continues to carry a dismal prognosis in children with refractory or recurrent disease, emphasizing the need for more effective therapies. γδ T cells comprise 2-10% of T-lymphocytes in human blood and play a role in immune surveillance. Investigators have noted that γδ T cells lysed neuroblastoma cells in vitro, but immunocompetent animal models for the in vivo study of γδ T cell manipulation in neuroblastoma are lacking. We hypothesized that a specific antibody to γδ T cells would deplete the population of these cells in vivo and would lead to increased tumor growth in an immunocompetent syngeneic murine model of neuroblastoma.