Features of Peripheral T Cell Remigration into the Thymus

TL;DR

This paper reviews how mature T cells from the body can return to the thymus and what effects this might have on thymus function.

Contribution

The paper provides a comprehensive review of peripheral T cell remigration into the thymus and its potential impact on thymus function.

Findings

Mature peripheral T cells can remigrate into the healthy adult thymus and accumulate in the medulla.

Naïve T cells can populate the thymus of neonates and aged animals, possibly supporting medullary function.

The fate and functions of remigrated T cells remain partially unclear.

Abstract

The thymus, the central organ of T lymphopoiesis, is traditionally thought to exclusively export T cells. However, a great deal of studies has shown that mature peripheral T cells can return to the thymus and remain there. It is acknowledged that both CD4+ and CD8+ activated T cells can remigrate into the healthy adult thymus and accumulate predominantly in the medulla. In contrast, naïve T cells can actively populate the thymus of neonates and aged animals, potentially supporting the medulla’s functioning. Still, the fate and functions of peripheral T cell remigrants are not fully understood as of today. This review presents experimental findings on peripheral T cell remigration, analyzes phenotypic and traffic features of remigrants, and considers possible effects of backmigration on thymus function.

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