Cytotoxic T cells, also called killer T cells or CD8-positive T cells, are a type of immune cell that recognizes and destroys infected, damaged, or cancerous cells. They patrol the body and inspect the molecular fragments displayed on the surface of other cells; when they detect abnormal markers, such as those produ…
Cytotoxic T cells, also called killer T cells or CD8-positive T cells, are a type of immune cell that recognizes and destroys infected, damaged, or cancerous cells. They patrol the body and inspect the molecular fragments displayed on the surface of other cells; when they detect abnormal markers, such as those produced by viruses or tumors, they bind to the target cell and trigger its death through programmed cell death, or apoptosis, releasing toxic granules and signaling molecules that dismantle the threatened cell. Cytotoxic T cells are a key arm of the adaptive immune response and are central to the body's defense against intracellular pathogens and to immune surveillance against cancer. Their ability to selectively kill malignant cells has made them a major focus of cancer immunotherapy, including approaches that aim to enhance or redirect their activity against tumors. Research relevant to this topic in Hematology and Oncology Research and affiliated titles includes work on a cytotoxic-type lymphoma, the biology of human tumor cells, and approaches to cancer immunotherapy, reflecting the journal's interest in immune cells and the immune response to cancer. This page gathers peer-reviewed, open-access research relevant to cytotoxic T cells and tumor immunology.
12 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.
The 12 articles above have been cited 49 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.
A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Cytotoxic t Cells, linking to each citing work.