Ross, S;
Cheung, M;
Lau, C-I;
Sebire, N;
Burch, M;
Kilbride, P;
Fuller, B;
... Crompton, T; + view all
(2018)
Transplanted human thymus slices induce and support T‐cell development in mice after cryopreservation.
European Journal of Immunology
, 48
(4)
pp. 716-719.
10.1002/eji.201747193.
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Abstract
Here we show that slices of human thymus tissue that have been frozen and thawed can induce and support T‐cell development when transplanted into nude mice. Infants born without a thymus require urgent treatment to reconstitute T‐cell immunity 1. Thymus tissue is removed from infants during cardiac surgery, to allow access to the heart. This discarded thymus tissue can be transplanted into athymic infants 2-4. Slices of thymus tissue are transplanted into the thigh, after a 2‐ to 3‐week culture period to deplete thymocytes. This procedure is life‐saving, but recipients have low T‐cell counts, and may develop autoimmunity. It is not possible to attempt to MHC‐match transplants between donor and recipient because of the urgency of performing the procedure 2, 3, 5. As delays in thymus transplantation could be life‐threatening, the procedure would be improved if it were possible to freeze thymus slices for transplantation. Cryopreservation would also open up the possibility of partial MHC‐matching.
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