title: TSLP is involved in expansion of early thymocyte progenitors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Thymic stromal derived lymphopoietin (TSLP) is preferentially and highly expressed in the thymus, but its function in T cell development is not clear.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We report here that TSLP, independently or in combination with IL-7, enhances thymopoiesis in the murine fetal thymic organ culture (FTOC) model. Furthermore, TSLP preferentially increases the number and proliferation of the (DN1 and DN2) pro-T progenitor cells, and FTOC lobes from TSLP receptor-null mice show a decreased number of these cells. Finally, DN1-DN2 cells expanded with TSLP in vitro are functional T progenitors that are able to differentiate into mature T cells in fetal or adult thymus organs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Together, these data suggest that TSLP plays an important role in expansion of thymocyte progenitors and may be of value for expanding T progenitor cells in vitro.
authors.affiliation: Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, School of Medicine, UNC at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA. qi_jiang@med.unc.edu <qi_jiang@med.unc.edu>
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: V McNeil
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Coffield
authors.forename: Motonari
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kondo
authors.forename: Lishan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Su
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016207:Cytokines / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000145:classification / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D015851:Interleukin-7 / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D038041:Lymphopoiesis / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D018448:Models, Immunological; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology* / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D000094632:Thymic Stromal Lymphopoietin
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D015851:Interleukin-7; D000094632:Thymic Stromal Lymphopoietin; C000721967:TSLP protein, mouse