IL-12 conditioning of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from breast cancer patients promotes the zoledronate-induced expansion of γδ T cells in vitro and enhances their cytotoxic activity and cytokine production

•ACT could be performed by synergetic CD3 subtypes not based on activation of isolated Vγ9+Vδ2+ T cells.•The addition of IL-12 during expansion by ZOL + IL-2 promoted the responsiveness of expanded Vγ9+Vδ2+ T cells from breast cancer patients significantly as ZOL + IL-2 effect.•ZOL-expanded Vγ9 +Vδ2+ showed strong directly anti-tumor activity through direct antigen presentation and production of PER and GZB or indirectly via stimulating other immune cells to secrete interferon (IFNγ), and tumor necrosis factors (TNFα).