Journal
REGULATORY PEPTIDES
Volume 147, Issue 1-3, Pages 72-81Publisher
ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV
DOI: 10.1016/j.regpep.2008.01.004
Keywords
nerve growth factor (NGF); thymic epithelial cells; thymocytes; cell adhesion molecule; thymopoietic cytokine
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Thymic epithelial cells, which constitute a major component of the thymic microenvironment, provide a crucial signal for intrathymic T cell development and selection. Neuroimmune networks in the thymic microenvironment are thought to be involved in the regulation of T cell development. NGF is increasingly recognized as a potent immunomodulator, promoting cross-talk between various types of immune system cells. The present study clearly shows that NGF stimulates mouse thymic epithelial cell activities in vitro including cell proliferation, thymocyte adhesion to thymic epithelial cells, and the expression of cell adhesion molecules such as ICAM-1 and VCAM-1, and thymopoietic factors including IL-7, GM-CSF, SDF-1, TARO and TECK. Thus, our data are of considerable clinical importance showing that trophic NGF activity could be used to enhance the thymus regeneration and develop methods to improve host immunity when the immune function is depressed due to thymic involution. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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