T cells, also known as T lymphocytes, are a type of white blood cell that play a key role in the immune response. They are produced in the bone marrow and mature in the thymus gland, hence the name "T cell." T cells are involved in the adaptive immune response, which is a highly specific and targeted response to pathogens. They recognize and respond to specific antigens presented by other cells, such as infected cells or antigen-presenting cells. There are several different types of T cells, including cytotoxic T cells, helper T cells, regulatory T cells, and memory T cells. Each type of T cell has a specific function in the immune response, such as killing infected cells, activating other immune cells, suppressing immune responses, or remembering past infections. Research in the field of T cells focuses on understanding how these cells function in health and disease, as well as developing therapies to modulate T cell responses for the treatment of various diseases, including cancer, autoimmune diseases, and infectious diseases. This research involves studying T cell activation, differentiation, migration, and communication with other immune cells.