The initial age-associated decline in early T-cell progenitors reflects fewer pre-thymic progenitors and altered signals in the bone marrow and thymus microenvironments.

ABSTRACT: Age-related thymus involution results in decreased T-cell production, contributing to increased susceptibility to pathogens and reduced vaccine responsiveness. Elucidating mechanisms underlying thymus involution will inform strategies to restore thymopoiesis with age. The thymus is colonized by circulating bone marrow (BM)-derived thymus seeding progenitors (TSPs) that differentiate into early T-cell progenitors (ETPs). We find that ETP cellularity declines as early as 3 months (3MO) of age in mice. This initial ETP reduction could reflect changes in thymic stromal niches and/or pre-thymic progenitors. Using a multicongenic progenitor transfer approach, we demonstrate that the number of functional TSP/ETP niches does not diminish with age. Instead, the number of pre-thymic lymphoid progeni

SUBMITTER: Srinivasan J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10410006 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature