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Past news

The 142nd RIKEN BRC SEMINAR

Understanding T cell development in athymic mice

Date: Jun 19(Mon.) 2017. 16:00 - 17:00 (JST)

Place: Moriwaki Hall (BioResource Center Main Building 1F)

The invited lecturer
Dr. Jeremy Swann

Max-Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics
Freiburg, Germany

Summary

Poster(PDF)
The 142nd RIKEN BRC SEMINAR

The thymus is a primary lymphoid organ present in all vertebrates, and is essential for the production of most T cells.
Close examination of athymic mice and humans has however revealed that small numbers of T cells can be detected in individuals lacking a thymus.
The T cells observed in athymic individuals exhibit unusual phenotypic properties in comparison to conventional thymus-derived T cells, and at present the developmental origin of these extrathymic T cells is unclear.
We aim to determine what role somatic mutation, either at the T cell receptor locus, or elsewhere in the genome, plays in the development of these extrathymic T cells.
Understanding the development of thymus-independent T cells may provide clues as to the evolutionary history of thymic T cell restriction, and help us to understand the essential signals provided by the thymus to support conventional T cell development.

Contact:Bioresource Engineering Division   
Atsuo Ogura(+81-29-836-9165)

No appointments required.