title: Thymus organogenesis and development of the thymic stroma.
abstract: T-cell development occurs principally in the thymus. Here, immature progenitor cells are guided through the differentiation and selection steps required to generate a complex T-cell repertoire that is both self-tolerant and has propensity to bind self major histocompatibility complex. These processes depend on an array of functionally distinct epithelial cell types within the thymic stroma, which have a common developmental origin in the pharyngeal endoderm. Here, we describe the structural and phenotypic attributes of the thymic stroma, and review current cellular and molecular understanding of thymus organogenesis.
authors: Institute for Stem Cell Research, University of Edinburgh, UK.
authors: Craig S
authors: CS
authors: Nowell
authors: Alison M
authors: AM
authors: Farley
authors: C Clare
authors: CC
authors: Blackburn
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D038081:Organogenesis / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D013949:Thymus Extracts; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D013949:Thymus Extracts