title: Chicken thymic nurse cells: an overview.
abstract: Thymic nurse cells are multicellular complexes located in the subcortical area of the thymus of all avian, mammalian and amphibian species investigated so far. Since their first description in 1980 many studies have been carried out to characterize their morphological and functional properties. The purpose of this review is to summarize recent morphological as well a functional analyses of chicken thymic nurse cells which suggest a role of these cell complexes in T cell selection.
authors.affiliation: Institute for General and Experimental Pathology, Medical School, University of Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rieker
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Penninger
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Romani
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wick
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens; D004847:Epithelial Cells; D004848:Epithelium / Q000276:immunology; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology*