γδ T cells and multiple sclerosis: Friends, foes, or both?

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a debilitating CNS disease characterized by demyelination and neuro-axonal loss. Though the exact etiology is still unknown, accumulated evidence points to the immune system being involved in the MS disease-process. Both ill-fated adaptive and innate immune responses can potentially contribute to the etiopathogenesis. We have been interested in deciphering how innate immunity might be involved; in particular, the role of gamma delta T cells. In this review, we discuss the current understanding about gamma delta T cells and describe the evidence implicating them in myelin injury, neurotoxicity, and immunoregulation in the development of MS. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.