# The role of γδ T cells in fetal and infant immune defense against malaria > **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · 2022 · $661,396 ## Abstract T cells expressing the γδ TCR are the first to develop during human gestation and possess many features that make them uniquely suited to protection of the fetus and infant. Unlike conventional αβ T cells, γδ T cells recognize non-peptide antigens and can exhibit rapid, innate-like effector functions that are not dependent on prior antigen exposure nor on priming by dendritic cells, which are functionally immature in early life. A subset of γδ T cells (Vγ9Vδ2) respond to phosphoantigens produced by Plasmodium falciparum via a unique mode of presentation by ubiquitously expressed butyrophilin molecules. Vγ9Vδ2 T cells inhibit parasite replication in vitro and are associated with protection from P. falciparum parasitemia in vivo. Remarkably, Vγ9Vδ2 T cells that express a phosphoantigen-reactive γδ TCR and pre-programmed effector functions are already present in fetal blood at mid-gestation. These fetal Vγ9Vδ2 T cells have high inflammatory potential and can be rapidly activated to produce IFNγ and granzymes upon stimulation. In addition, they express semi-invariant TCRs with distinct sequence characteristics, including limited junctional diversity and differential gene segment usage, that distinguish them from Vγ9Vδ2 T cells generated later in life. Given the intrinsic reactivity of Vγ9Vδ2 T cells to P. falciparum, we hypothesize that these cells may play a beneficial role as ready-made effectors during acute malaria infection of infants and young children, before an adaptive immune response has developed. We will use longitudinal samples previously collected from a large cohort of Ugandan infants, including cord blood mononuclear cells and infant PBMCs, to determine how Vγ9Vδ2 T cells respond to malaria antigen exposure in utero and during early childhood. In the first aim, we will characterize the expansion, differentiation, effector functions, and proliferative capacity of γδ T cells in infants following prenatal and postnatal malaria, enabling us to assess whether the Vγ9Vδ2 T cell response differs based on the timing of initial malaria exposure. In the second aim, we will evaluate the impact of malaria antigen exposure in utero and during early life on the γδ TCR sequence repertoire. This aim will incorporate single-cell sequencing technologies that pair transcriptomic information with TCR sequence data from individual cells, enabling us to resolve many potential sources of phenotypic and functional heterogeneity observed at the bulk cell analysis level. Lastly, Vγ9Vδ2 T cells have been shown to display APC-like capabilities including phagocytosis, antigen presentation, and even priming of naive T cells. Such functions may be of particular relevance during infancy, when professional APCs are immature and present antigen poorly. Therefore, in the third aim, we will investigate whether Vγ9Vδ2 T cells play additional roles in the fetus and neonate, beyond their immediate effector functions, including uptake and pres... ## Key facts - **NIH application ID:** 10421464 - **Project number:** 5R01AI093615-12 - **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO - **Principal Investigator:** MARGARET E FEENEY - **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.) - **Funding institute:** NIH - **Fiscal year:** 2022 - **Award amount:** $661,396 - **Award type:** 5 - **Project period:** 2011-03-15 → 2026-05-31 ## Primary source NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10421464 ## Citation > US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10421464, The role of γδ T cells in fetal and infant immune defense against malaria (5R01AI093615-12). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10421464. Licensed CC0. --- *[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*