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Early Effect of Adult Thymectomy

Nature New Biology volume 231, pages 110–111 (1971)Cite this article

Abstract

THYMECTOMY of the adult mouse or rat results in a very slow decrease in immunological responsiveness1–4. This is compatible with the idea that thymus function depends on a long lived population of thymus (T) cells which derive from the thymus but are subsequently independent of it5. Removal of the thymus in the neonatal period in the mouse could therefore have a drastic effect on the development of immunological responsiveness, because the organ is taken before it has shed enough T cells. Our aim is to show here that removal of the thymus in the adult can have an effect which is perceptible within 5 days on a cell population which has been shown to be a significant component of the immunological apparatus6.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hôpital Necker, 161 Rue de Sèvres, Paris

    J. F. BACH & M. DARDENNE

  2. Chester Beatty Research Institute, Institute of Cancer Research, Royal Cancer Hospital, Fulham Road, London, SW3

    A. J. S. DAVIES

Authors
  1. J. F. BACH
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  2. M. DARDENNE
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  3. A. J. S. DAVIES
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BACH, J., DARDENNE, M. & DAVIES, A. Early Effect of Adult Thymectomy. Nature New Biology 231, 110–111 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1038/newbio231110a0

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