T Cell Biology at the Cutting Edge: Differentiation, Plasticity, and Dysfunction

This chapter examines recent advances in our understanding of CD4+ and CD8+ T cell biology, covering novel insights into subset differentiation, transcriptional regulation, and the emerging concept of T cell plasticity in chronic disease and cancer. Special attention is given to T cell exhaustion and reinvigoration, including epigenetic mechanisms that govern dysfunctional states and the implications for immune checkpoint-based therapies. The chapter also discusses new perspectives on tissue-resident memory T cells and their roles in local immunity and immunopathology.