Investigating the regulation of Delta-like 4 in thymic epithelial cells

胸腺是负责t细胞产生的主要部位。该功能的关键是胸腺上皮细胞（TECs）表面上δ样4 （Dll4）基因产物的表达。尽管在t细胞发育中起着不可缺少的作用，但控制其表达的分子因素仍未被广泛探索。虽然我们知道tec必须保持在三维（3D）结构中才能成功表达Dll4，但我们不知道为什么会这样，也不知道是什么分子将3D结构与Dll4表达联系起来。我们的工作旨在了解3D胸腺微环境与tec中正确基因表达之间的联系。这样做，我们将更好地了解胸腺的功能，我们将提供有价值的信息，可用于创建人工组织和器官。

The thymus is the primary site responsible for the production of T-cells. Key to this function is the expression of the Delta-like 4 (Dll4) gene product on the surface of thymic epithelial cells (TECs). Despite playing an indispensable role in T-cell development, the molecular factors controlling its expression remain largely unexplored. While we know that the TECs must be maintained in a 3-dimensional (3D) structure to successfully express Dll4, we do not know why that is nor what molecules connect 3D structure to Dll4 expression. Our work aims to understand the link between the 3D thymic microenvironment and correct gene expression in TECs. In doing so, we will gain a better understanding of how the thymus functions and we will provide valuable information that can be used to create artificial tissues and organs.