Long-term survival and differentiation of human thymocytes in human thymus-grafted immunodeficient mice

Immunotherapy. 2019 Jul;11(10):881-888. doi: 10.2217/imt-2019-0030. Epub 2019 May 29.

Abstract

Aim: Thymus transplants have produced encouraging clinical outcomes in achieving thymopoiesis and T-cell development. This study was aimed to investigate whether human thymus contains self-renewing lymphoid progenitors capable of maintaining long-term T-cell development. Materials & methods: Immunodeficient mice were transplanted with human thymic tissue along with autologous GFP-expressing or allogeneic CD34+ cells and followed for human thymopoiesis and T-cell development from the thymic progenitors versus CD34+ cells, which can be distinguished by GFP or HLA expression. Results: In both models, long-term thymopoiesis and T-cell development from the thymic grafts were detected. In these mice, human thymic progenitor-derived T cells including CD45RA+CD31+CD4+ new thymic emigrants were persistently present in the periphery throughout the observation period (32 weeks). Conclusion: The results indicate that human thymus contains long-lived lymphoid progenitors that can maintain durable thymopoiesis and T-cell development.

Keywords: T-cell development; human; humanized mouse; thymopoiesis; thymus.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Survival / immunology
  • Heterografts
  • Lymphopoiesis / immunology*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred NOD
  • Organ Transplantation*
  • Thymocytes* / cytology
  • Thymocytes* / immunology
  • Thymus Gland* / cytology
  • Thymus Gland* / immunology
  • Thymus Gland* / transplantation
  • Time Factors