Early commitment: T cell progenitors in the blood.
Thymic lymphopoiesis depends on blood-borne, marrow-derived progenitors, but characterization of these cells, and their lineage potentials, has been difficult. In this issue, Krueger and von Boehmer show some blood cells that are already T lineage restricted, suggesting that T lineage commitment can occur pre-thymically.
Petrie
Howard T
HT
Scripps/Florida Research Institute, RF-1, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA. hpetrie@scripps.edu
D000818:Animals; D019070:Cell Lineage / Q000276:immunology*; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D038041:Lymphopoiesis / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology