Division of Experimental Immunology, Institute for Genome Research, University of Tokushima, Tokushima, Japan.
Immunol Rev. 2016 May;271(1):10-22. doi: 10.1111/imr.12404.
The thymic cortex provides a microenvironment for the development and positive selection of immature T cells. Cortical thymic epithelial cells (cTECs), which structurally and functionally support the thymic cortical microenvironment, originate from endodermal epithelial progenitors that arise in the third pharyngeal pouch. Recent studies have revealed that thymic epithelial progenitors pass through a stage where the cells express cTEC-associated molecules prior to lineage separation into cTECs and medullary TECs (mTECs). Here, we review the molecular signatures of cTECs and highlight the development and developmental potential of cTECs.
胸腺皮质为未成熟 T 细胞的发育和阳性选择提供了一个微环境。皮质胸腺上皮细胞（cTECs）在结构和功能上支持胸腺皮质微环境，它们起源于第三咽囊中的内胚层上皮祖细胞。最近的研究表明，胸腺上皮祖细胞在谱系分离为 cTEC 和髓质上皮细胞（mTEC）之前，经历了一个表达 cTEC 相关分子的阶段。在这里，我们回顾了 cTEC 的分子特征，并强调了 cTEC 的发育和发育潜力。
