University of Massachusetts Medical School Faculty Publications
Title
Tolerance has its limits: how the thymus copes with infection
UMMS Affiliation
Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems
Publication Date
2013-10
Document Type
Article
Subjects
Animals; Cell Differentiation; Humans; Immune Tolerance; Infection; T-Lymphocytes; Thymus Gland
Disciplines
Bacterial Infections and Mycoses | Biological Factors | Cells | Hemic and Immune Systems | Immunology and Infectious Disease | Immunopathology | Medical Immunology | Pathology
Abstract
The thymus is required for T cell differentiation; a process that depends on which antigens are encountered by thymocytes, the environment surrounding the differentiating cells, and the thymic architecture. These features are altered by local infection of the thymus and by the inflammatory mediators that accompany systemic infection. Although once believed to be an immune privileged site, it is now known that antimicrobial responses are recruited to the thymus. Resolving infection in the thymus is important because chronic persistence of microbes impairs the differentiation of pathogen-specific T cells and diminishes resistance to infection. Understanding how these mechanisms contribute to disease susceptibility, particularly in infants with developing T cell repertoires, requires further investigation.
Keywords
Thymus, infection, T cell repertoires, anti-microbial response, thymic microenvironment
DOI of Published Version
10.1016/j.it.2013.06.004
Source
Trends Immunol. 2013 Oct;34(10):502-10. doi: 10.1016/j.it.2013.06.004. Link to article on publisher's site
Related Resources
Journal/Book/Conference Title
Trends in immunology
PubMed ID
23871487
Repository Citation
Nunes-Alves C, Nobrega C, Behar SM, Correia-Neves M. (2013). Tolerance has its limits: how the thymus copes with infection. University of Massachusetts Medical School Faculty Publications. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.it.2013.06.004. Retrieved from https://escholarship.umassmed.edu/faculty_pubs/461