Miller's seminal studies on the role of thymus in immunity

D Ribatti1, E Crivellato, A Vacca

  • 1Department of Human Anatomy and Histology, University of Bari Medical School, Bari, Italy. ribatti@anatomia.uniba.it

The thymus is one of the two primary lymphoid organs. It is responsible for the provision of T lymphocytes to the entire body, and provides a unique microenvironment in which T cell precursors (thymocytes) undergo development, differentiation and clonal expansion. This review article summarizes the seminal work of the Australian scientist Francis Albert Pierre Miller concerning the description for the first time of the crucial role of the thymus for normal development of the immune system.

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