Thymus: the next (re)generation

Regeneration of the aged thymus by a single transcription factor

Thymic involution is central to the decline in immune system function that occurs with age. By regenerating the thymus, it may therefore be possible to improve the ability of the aged immune system to respond to novel antigens. Recently, diminished expression of the thymic epithelial cell (TEC)-specific transcription factor Forkhead box N1 (FOXN1) has been implicated as a component of the mecha...

Biphasic Pattern of Thymus Regeneration after Whole-body Irradiation

Whole-body irradiation of mice with 300 or 400 R causes a precipitous fall in thymus weight, followed by an increase in the mitotic index and an almost complete restoration of thymus mass. This phase is followed by a secondary fall in thymus weight and gradual recovery. This secondary fall can be prevented by intravenous injection of bone marrow or shielding of the hind limbs during irradiation...

The next regeneration: identifying cardiac regeneration-inducing microRNAs using functional screening.

Tissue regeneration as next-generation therapy for COPD – potential applications

COPD is a major cause of chronic morbidity and mortality worldwide, and there is a need to develop more effective therapeutic strategies to replace specialized treatment such as lung transplantation. Recent studies suggest that recognition of apoptotic lung epithelial or endothelial cells may result in growth factors to stimulate cell replacement, and defects in these processes may contribute t...

The thymus

Individuals with no thymus rapidly die from opportunistic infections due to total failure of the immune system. Experience in cases of infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) known as AIDS clearly shows that the thymus gland and the thymus helper lymphocytes (T cells) dependent on it are destroyed in the course of the disease. This generally triggers a series of severe consequenti...