Department of Pharmacotherapy and Pharmaceutics (DPP)

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RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

γδ T cells are unconventional T cells that express a γδ T cell receptor (TCR) on their cell surface instead of an αβ TCR as on conventional αβ T cells. γδ T cells can have several roles, including protection against infections and tumors. The general approach of our current research is to obtain insight into human γδ T cells by applying sophisticated molecular biological techniques on clinical samples. Important in vivo findings are then further investigated in vitro in order to understand molecular mechanisms. A main focus of our research is the role and ontogeny of human γδ T cells in early life. This research is leading to novel targets (molecules, cells) for pharmacotherapy.

Publications of David Vermijlen in PubMed :

HERE

David is also member of ULB's Center for Research in Immunology (U-CRI)

Selected publications


Microbial exposure during early human development primes fetal immune cells

Mishra, A., Lai, G. C., Yao, L. J., Aung, T. T., Shental, N., Rotter-Maskowitz, A., Shepherdson, E., Singh, G. S. N., Pai, R., Shanti, A., Wong, R. M. M., Lee, A., Khyriem, C., Dutertre, C. A., Chakarov, S., Srinivasan, K., Shadan, N. B., Zhang, X.-M., Khalilnezhad, S., Cottier, F., Tan, A. S. M., Low, G., Chen, P., Fan, Y., Hor, P. X., Lee, A. K. M., Choolani, M., Vermijlen, D., Sharma, A., Fuks, G., Straussman, R., Pavelka, N., Malleret, B., McGovern, N., Albani, S., Chan, J. K. Y., & Ginhoux, F. (2021). Microbial exposure during early human development primes fetal immune cells. Cell. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2021.04.039  

 

Innate and adaptive γδ T cells: How, when, and why.

Papadopoulou, M., Sánchez Sánchez, G., & Vermijlen, D. (2020). Innate and adaptive γδ T cells: How, when, and why. Immunological reviews. doi:10.1111/imr.12926  

 

Fetal public Vγ9Vδ2 T cells expand and gain potent cytotoxic functions early after birth.

Papadopoulou, M., Dimova, T., Shey, M., Briel, L., Veldtsman, H., Khomba, N., Africa, H., Steyn, M., Hanekom, W. W., Scriba, T. T., Nemes, E., & Vermijlen, D. (2020). Fetal public Vγ9Vδ2 T cells expand and gain potent cytotoxic functions early after birth. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 117(31), 18638-18648. doi:10.1073/pnas.1922595117  

 

The human fetal thymus generates invariant effector γδ T cells.

Tieppo, P., Papadopoulou, M., Gatti, D., McGovern, N., Chan, J. K. Y., Gosselin, F., Goetgeluk, G., Weening, K., Ma, L., Dauby, N., Cogan, A., Donner, C., Ginhoux, F., Vandekerckhove, B., & Vermijlen, D. (2019). The human fetal thymus generates invariant effector γδ T cells. The Journal of experimental medicine, 217(3). doi:10.1084/jem.20190580  

 

TCR Sequencing Reveals the Distinct Development of Fetal and Adult Human Vγ9Vδ2 T Cells.

Papadopoulou, M., Tieppo, P., McGovern, N., Gosselin, F., Chan, J. K. Y., Goetgeluk, G., Dauby, N., Cogan, A., Donner, C., Ginhoux, F., Vandekerckhove, B., & Vermijlen, D. (2019). TCR Sequencing Reveals the Distinct Development of Fetal and Adult Human Vγ9Vδ2 T Cells. The Journal of immunology. doi:10.4049/jimmunol.1900592  

 

Broad cytotoxic targeting of acute myeloid leukemia by polyclonal delta one T cells

Di Lorenzo, B., Simões, A. A., Caiado, F., Tieppo, P., Correia, D. D., Carvalho, T., Da Silva, M. G., Déchanet-Merville, J., Schumacher, T. T., Prinz, I., Norell, H., Ravens, S., Vermijlen, D., & Silva-Santos, B. (2019). Broad cytotoxic targeting of acute myeloid leukemia by polyclonal delta one T cells. Cancer immunology research, 7(4), 552-558. doi:10.1158/2326-6066.CIR-18-0647  

 

The checkpoint for agonist selection precedes conventional selection in human thymus

Verstichel, G., Vermijlen, D., Martens, L., Goetgeluk, G., Brouwer, M., Thiault, N., van Caeneghem, Y., De Munter, S., Weening, K., Bonte, S., Leclercq, G., Taghon, T., Kerre, T., Saeys, Y., Van Dorpe, J., Cheroutre, H., & Vandekerckhove, B. (2017). The checkpoint for agonist selection precedes conventional selection in human thymus. Science immunology, 2, eaah4232. doi:10.1126/sciimmunol.aah4232  

 

Human papillomavirus oncoproteins induce a reorganization of epithelial-associated γδ T cells promoting tumor formation

Van Hede, D., Polese, B., Humblet, C., Wilharm, A., Renoux, V., Dortu, E., de Leval, L., Delvenne, P., Desmet, C., Bureau, F., Jacobs, N., & Vermijlen, D. (2017). Human papillomavirus oncoproteins induce a reorganization of epithelial-associated γδ T cells promoting tumor formation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 114(43), E9056-E9065. doi:10.1073/pnas.1712883114  

 

Effector Vγ9Vδ2 T cells dominate the human fetal γδ T-cell repertoire

Dimova, T., Brouwer, M., Gosselin, F., Tassignon, J., Leo, O., Donner, C., Marchant, A., & Vermijlen, D. (2015). Effector Vγ9Vδ2 T cells dominate the human fetal γδ T-cell repertoire. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 112(6), E556-E565. doi:10.1073/pnas.1412058112/-/DCSupplemental  

 

γδ T Cells Confer Protection against Murine Cytomegalovirus (MCMV).

Khairallah, C., Netzer, S., Villacreces, A., Juzan, M., Rousseau, B., Dulanto Magallanes, S. A., Giese, A., Costet, P., Praloran, V., Moreau, J. F., Dubus, P., Vermijlen, D., Dechanet-Merville, J., & Capone, M. (2015). γδ T Cells Confer Protection against Murine Cytomegalovirus (MCMV). P L o S Pathogens, 11(3), e1004702, 1-22. doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1004702