Structure and function of the thymic microenvironment
Structure and function of the thymic microenvironment
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DOI：
10.2741/3866
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发表时间：
2011-06-01
影响因子：
3.1
通讯作者：
Sage, Julien
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Manley, Nancy Ruth;Richie, Ellen Rothman;Sage, Julien
器官不仅仅是其组成部分的总和-功能能力要求这些部分不仅以适当的比例存在，而且还以特定的方式排列和发挥作用。胸腺是细胞组织和器官功能之间联系的一个很好的例子。与更熟悉的器官（如肺或肾）不同，胸腺不是组织成容易识别的结构，如管和有序的细胞层，而是一个复杂的微环境网络，T细胞祖细胞通过它迁移，接收指示它们分化，增殖或死亡的信号。正确的胸腺组织是必要的功能性T细胞库的最佳生产。在衰老过程中，胸腺经历退化，这主要是由于TEC微环境区室的降解，其然后不能支持最佳胸腺细胞发育，导致幼稚T细胞的输出减少。本文综述了胸腺微环境的组成和组织以及促进其正常发育和功能的机制。
Organs are more than the sum of their component parts - functional competence requires that these parts not only be present in the appropriate proportions, but also be arranged and function together in specific ways. The thymus is an excellent example of the connection between cellular organization and organ function. Unlike more familiar organs, such as lung or kidney, the thymus is not organized into easily identifiable structures such as tubes and ordered cell layers, but instead is a complex meshwork of microenvironments through which T cell progenitors migrate, receiving signals that instruct them to differentiate, proliferate, or die. Proper thymic organization is essential to the optimal production of a functional T cell repertoire. During aging, the thymus undergoes involution, largely due to degradation of the TEC microenvironmental compartment, which then fails to support optimal thymocyte development resulting in reduced output of naive T cells. This review will summarize the current state of understanding of the composition and organization of thymic microenvironments and the mechanisms that promote their proper development and function.