Abstract
The present review investigates the role and characteristics of CD8(+) T cells in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) using single‑cell transcriptomics, revealing their pivotal functions and remarkable heterogeneity. In IBD, CD8(+) T cells exhibit marked phenotypic and functional diversity, with distinct subpopulations exhibiting unique signaling pathway activation profiles that associate with varying clinical outcomes. Furthermore, CD8(+) T cell subsets in IBD participate in complex crosstalk networks involving immune and non‑immune cells, modulating inflammatory responses and tissue homeostasis. The present review synthesizes the dynamic complexity of CD8(+) T cell behavior in IBD and identifies promising therapeutic opportunities through targeted modulation of specific T cell subsets and their interactions within the colonic microenvironment.