Establishment and functioning of intrathymic microenvironments.
The thymus supports the production of self-tolerant T cells from immature precursors. Studying the mechanisms regulating the establishment and maintenance of stromal microenvironments within the thymus therefore is essential to our understanding of T-cell production and ultimately immune system functioning. Despite our ability to phenotypically define stromal cell compartments of the thymus, the mechanisms regulating their development and the ways by which they influence T-cell precursors are still unclear. Here, we review recent findings and highlight unresolved issues relating to the development and functioning of thymic stromal cells.
Anderson
Graham
G
MRC Center for Immune Regulation, Division of Immunity and Infection, Institute For Biomedical Research, Medical School, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK. g.anderson@bham.ac.uk
Jenkinson
William E
WE
Jones
Terry
T
Parnell
Sonia M
SM
Kinsella
Francesca A M
FA
White
Andrea J
AJ
Pongrac'z
Judit E
JE
Rossi
Simona W
SW
Jenkinson
Eric J
EJ
D000818:Animals; D002450:Cell Communication; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology; D006801:Humans; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000166:cytology; D018448:Models, Immunological; D038081:Organogenesis; D017634:Self Tolerance / Q000276:immunology; D015398:Signal Transduction; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000166:cytology; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology* / Q000196:embryology / Q000276:immunology