CD8A and viral infectious disease: Given the downregulation of EOMES in CD8+ TSCM cells (Fig. 7a,b) and reduced chromatin accessibility at the Eomes locus in GFI1ΔCD8 CD8+ TM cells (Fig. 7c), we examined the requirement for GFI1-mediated EOMES in maintaining the persistence of CD8+ T cells following chronic viral infection.