title: Miller's seminal studies on the role of thymus in immunity.
abstract: The thymus is one of the two primary lymphoid organs. It is responsible for the provision of T lymphocytes to the entire body, and provides a unique microenvironment in which T cell precursors (thymocytes) undergo development, differentiation and clonal expansion. This review article summarizes the seminal work of the Australian scientist Francis Albert Pierre Miller concerning the description for the first time of the crucial role of the thymus for normal development of the immune system.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Anatomy and Histology, University of Bari Medical School, Bari, Italy. ribatti@anatomia.uniba.it
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ribatti
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Crivellato
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vacca
mesh_terms: D000486:Allergy and Immunology / Q000266:history*; D000818:Animals; D001315:Australia; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D007107:Immune System / Q000254:growth & development; D007942:Leukemia, Experimental / Q000276:immunology; D038041:Lymphopoiesis / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000276:immunology*