Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 21, 2026

Formation of Human Thymus Organoids in Three-Dimensional Fibrin Hydrogels
Published on: October 4, 2024
Thymus Size and Age-related Thymic Involution: Early Programming, Sexual Dimorphism, Progenitors and Stroma
Jingang Gui1, Lisa Maria Mustachio, Dong-Ming Su
1Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Dartmouth Medical School, Hanover, NH 03755, USA.
Abstract:
Age-related thymic involution is characterized by a progressive regression in thymus size and a diminishment of thymic structure. A decrease in thymic compartments leads to the reduction of thymopoiesis. Thymic involution is closely associated with immunosenescence, a degeneration of the immune system primarily due to the alterations in T-cell composition. Strategies to improve the consequences of the aging thymus are currently under investigation. A wide array of knowledge has revealed a series of factors that are essential in the overall determination of thymic function and immune response. Evidence indicates that early programming of the thymus, sexual dimorphism, and the efficiency of specific T-cell progenitors and the thymic microenvironment are all crucial determinants of immune activity from early life through advanced ages. To fully understand the processes involved in age-related thymic involution, such determinants must be considered. The central purpose of this review is to emphasize previous and most recent evidence suggesting that these factors contribute to the influence of long-term immunity and ultimately shape the progression of thymic involution in advanced age.
Related Concept Videos
Primary Lymphoid Organs
The red bone marrow is a soft, spongy tissue nestled in the interior of long bones such as the humerus and femur. It is the site...
Cellular Adaptation III: Hyperplasia
Secondary Lymphoid Organs
The spleen is a vital organ in the lymphatic system, nestled in the upper left side of the abdomen. It is composed of two primary regions: the red pulp and the white pulp, each having distinct functions. The red pulp performs a significant role in blood filtration. It efficiently purges the blood of old or damaged red blood cells and...
Cells of the Adaptive Immune Response
Development of the Lymphatic System
The first lymph sacs to form are the paired jugular lymph sacs located at the junction of the internal jugular and subclavian veins. From these sacs, lymphatic capillary plexuses extend to the thorax, upper limbs, neck, and head, eventually forming lymphatic vessels. Each jugular lymph sac maintains a...
T Cell Activation and Clonal Selection
Naive T cells that have not yet encountered an antigen express two primary CD...

