Abstract: The invention of the present disclosure provides a method for treating a viral infection in a recipient subject suffering from or at risk of a viral infection including administering to the recipient subject a pharmaceutical composition comprising a therapeutic amount of superactivated cytokine killer T cells (SCKTCs) and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, and mobilizing an immune response of the recipient subject to the viral pathogen. When tested in vitro, the SCKTCs are characterized by a predominant production of TH1 dominant cytokines including IFN-?; an IFN-?:IL-4 ratio of at least 500:1; and at least 50% killing of target A549 cells at an effector:target ratio of 20:1.