Non-Epithelial Thymic Stromal Cells: Unsung Heroes in Thymus Organogenesis and T Cell Development.

ABSTRACT: The stromal microenvironment in the thymus is essential for generating a functional T cell repertoire. Thymic epithelial cells (TECs) are numerically and phenotypically one of the most prominent stromal cell types in the thymus, and have been recognized as one of most unusual cell types in the body by virtue of their unique functions in the course of the positive and negative selection of developing T cells. In addition to TECs, there are other stromal cell types of mesenchymal origin, such as fibroblasts and endothelial cells. These mesenchymal stromal cells are not only components of the parenchymal and vascular architecture, but also have a pivotal role in controlling TEC development, although their functions have been less extensively explored than TECs. Here, we review both the histor

SUBMITTER: Nitta T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7840694 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature