T 细胞在激活后可以获得广泛的分化状态。在这个连续体的最末端是配备有效应器机制的短寿命细胞和具有更高增殖潜力和干细胞样发育可塑性的更静止的长寿命细胞。后者包括干细胞样耗竭 T 细胞和记忆 T 细胞，这两种细胞最近已成为癌症免疫和免疫治疗反应的关键决定因素。在这里，我们讨论干细胞样耗竭 CD8 T 细胞和记忆 CD8 T 细胞在调节和功能方面的关键相似点和差异，并考虑它们在癌症不同结局中对保护性免疫的特定贡献，包括肿瘤逃逸、长期控制和消灭。最后，我们强调了如何探索对干细胞样耗竭 T 细胞和记忆 T 细胞分子调控的最新进展，以在癌症免疫疗法（例如检查点抑制、过继细胞疗法和疫苗接种）中获得临床益处。© 2023。Springer Nature有限的。

T cells can acquire a broad spectrum of differentiation states following activation. At the extreme ends of this continuum are short-lived cells equipped with effector machinery and more quiescent, long-lived cells with heightened proliferative potential and stem cell-like developmental plasticity. The latter encompass stem-like exhausted T cells and memory T cells, both of which have recently emerged as key determinants of cancer immunity and response to immunotherapy. Here, we discuss key similarities and differences in the regulation and function of stem-like exhausted CD8+ T cells and memory CD8+ T cells, and consider their context-specific contributions to protective immunity in diverse outcomes of cancer, including tumour escape, long-term control and eradication. Finally, we emphasize how recent advances in the understanding of the molecular regulation of stem-like exhausted T cells and memory T cells are being explored for clinical benefit in cancer immunotherapies such as checkpoint inhibition, adoptive cell therapy and vaccination.© 2023. Springer Nature Limited.