Conclusion
Dissecting the role of T cell immunity in SARS-CoV-2 infection is the
base for effectively guiding clinical therapy and designing vaccines.
Functional optimization of activated T cells, effector T cells, memory T
cells, Tregs, NKT, γδT and MAIT cells is critical to resolve SARS-CoV-2
infection. However, SARS-CoV-2 infection disturb the interaction of
innate and adaptive immunity including decreased T cell number, impaired
T cell proliferation/differentiation/survival, highly activated and
exhausted status, and improper cytokine secretion and chemotaxis. The
altered T cell functions and excessive inflammation contribute to severe
symptoms of COVID-19. Therefore, T cell-based therapeutic approaches,
including enhancing virus-specific T cell responses, reverting T‐cell
exhaustion and alleviating inflammatory cytokine storm, should be
considered therapeutic strategies for improving clinical outcomes.