Abstract
The thymus is an evolutionarily conserved organ that supports the development of T cells. Not only does the thymic environment support the rearrangement and expression of diverse T cell receptors but also provides a unique niche for the selection of appropriate T cell clones. Thymic selection ensures that the repertoire of available T cells is both useful (being MHC-restricted) and safe (being self-tolerant). The unique antigen-presentation features of the thymus ensure that the display of self-antigens is optimal to induce tolerance to all types of self-tissue. MHC class-specific functions of CD4+ T helper cells, CD8+ killer T cells and CD4+ regulatory T cells are also established in the thymus. Finally, the thymus provides signals for the development of several minor T cell subsets that promote immune and tissue homeostasis. This Review provides an introductory-level overview of our current understanding of the sophisticated thymic selection mechanisms that ensure T cells are useful and safe.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 103-117 |
| Number of pages | 15 |
| Journal | Nature Reviews Immunology |
| Volume | 24 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Feb 2024 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© Springer Nature Limited 2023. corrected publication 2023. Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
PubMed: MeSH publication types
- Journal Article
- Review