Integrative transcriptomic and proteomic profiling reveals altered thymocyte development and microenvironment remodeling during natural thymic atrophy.

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

• Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
• Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
• Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
• Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
• Emerging · Emerging topic under active research

Abstract (original English)

Age-related thymic atrophy (ARTA) is a hallmark of immunosenescence, yet the earliest thymocyte developmental checkpoints affected by increasing age and the coordinated molecular programs that drive thymic degeneration remain incompletely defined. We compared young (1-month-old) and middle-aged (MA, 12-month-old) male ICR mice using thymus weight/index measurement, histopathology, peripheral blood cell analysis, and immunostaining of thymic markers. We further performed RNA-seq and data-dependent acquisition (DDA) proteomics, followed by integrated transcriptomic-proteomic pathway analyses. Finally, we analyzed public human thymus datasets to assess the translational relevance of our findings. Middle-aged mice exhibited marked thymic involution with reduced thymus weight and thymic index, accompanied by peripheral lymphopenia and reduced peripheral T-cell counts, while myeloid populations (neutrophils and monocytes) increased. Pathological examination revealed lipid droplet accumulation in the thymus of aged mice, along with decreased Ki-67 expression and an increased number of apoptotic cells. Histologically, aged thymuses showed cortical thinning and an indistinct corticomedullary boundary. Reduced cortical CD25 with increased CD44 is suggestive of a possible developmental impediment around the DN1-to-DN2 transition; in parallel, CD3 + , CD4 + , and CD8 + T cells were reduced

Evidence level

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

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