Cervical thymus in the mouse

J Dooley, M Erickson, GO Gillard… - The Journal of …, 2006 - journals.aai.org
J Dooley, M Erickson, GO Gillard, AG Farr
The Journal of Immunology, 2006journals.aai.org
Although thymic ectopy has long been recognized in humans, the functional activity or
potential immunological significance of this thymic tissue is unknown. In this study, we
describe murine thymic ectopy, cervical thymic tissue that possesses the same general
organization as the thoracic thymus, that is able to support T cell differentiation, and that can
export T cells to the periphery. Unexpectedly, the pattern of autoantigen expression by
ectopic thymic tissue differs from that of the thoracic thymus, raising the possibility that these …
Abstract
Although thymic ectopy has long been recognized in humans, the functional activity or potential immunological significance of this thymic tissue is unknown. In this study, we describe murine thymic ectopy, cervical thymic tissue that possesses the same general organization as the thoracic thymus, that is able to support T cell differentiation, and that can export T cells to the periphery. Unexpectedly, the pattern of autoantigen expression by ectopic thymic tissue differs from that of the thoracic thymus, raising the possibility that these two thymic environments may project different versions of self.
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