Smoothened function in T cell development

胸腺通过支持T细胞（一种白色血细胞）的产生，在抵抗感染的免疫保护中发挥重要作用。T细胞是免疫系统的重要组成部分，使我们能够对抗感染，并调节其他类型的细胞，防止我们的免疫系统攻击我们自己的身体。了解T细胞是如何产生的将有助于我们了解它们的功能，并将有助于设计人类疾病的治疗方法。这个项目将研究参与调节胸腺T细胞产生的分子。特别是，我们将研究一种名为Smoothened的分子在T细胞和其他类型血细胞产生中的功能。Smoothened在许多组织和器官（如心脏和骨骼）的胚胎发育过程中是一种非常重要的分子，但对其在T细胞和其他血细胞产生中的功能知之甚少。本项目将采用遗传学方法研究Smoothened的功能。我们将询问编码Smoothened的基因突变对胸腺中T细胞的产生以及其他类型血细胞的投射有什么影响。

The thymus gland plays an essential role in immunological protection against infection by supporting the production of T cells, a type of white blood cell. T cells are an important constituent of the immune system, that enable us to fight infection, and also regulate other types of cell, preventing our immune system from attacking our own bodies. An understanding of how T cells are produced will help us to understand how they function and will be useful in designing treatments for human disease. This project will study molecules that are involved in the regulation of T cell production the thymus. In particular, we will investigate the functions of a molecule called Smoothened in the production of T cells and other types of blood cell. Smoothened is known to be a very important molecule during the embryonic development of many tissues and organs, such as the heart and bone, but little is known about its functions in the production of T cells and other blood cells. This project will take a genetic approach to study the functions of Smoothened. We will ask what effect mutations in the gene that encodes Smoothened have on the production of T cells in the thymus, and on the projection of other types of blood cell.