A History and Atlas of the Human CD4⁺ T Helper Cell

CD4⁺ T cells have orchestrated and regulated immunity since the introduction of jawed vertebrates, yet our understanding of CD4⁺ T cell evolution, development, and cellular physiology has only begun to be unearthed in the past few decades. Discoveries of genetic diseases that ablate this cellular population have provided insight into their critical functions while transcriptomics, proteomics, and high-resolution microscopy have recently revealed new insights into CD4⁺ T cell anatomy and physiology. This article compiles historical, microscopic, and multi-omics data that can be used as a reference atlas and index to dissect cellular physiology within these influential cells and further understand pathologies like HIV infection that inflict human CD4⁺ T cells.