In vitro systems for the study of T cell development: fetal thymus organ culture and OP9-DL1 cell coculture.

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)

Most T cell development occurs within the thymus and includes a series of selection processes that are, in large part, still poorly understood. Studies of T cell development have been greatly advanced by the description of multiple phenotypic subsets of T cells and their maturational relationships. This unit describes a system for observing and modulating T cell development in vitro via the culture of entire mouse fetal thymic lobes. Methods are included for the isolation of fetal thymi and culture to allow for normal T cell development on either transwell plates or Gelfoam sponges. A method for depleting hematopoietic cells from thymic lobes using 2'-deoxyguanosine and subsequent reconstitution with precursor cells is also described. This protocol is valuable for the study of tolerance and T cell selection. A support protocol describing methods of altering and monitoring T cell development are outlined. In addition, methods for culturing fetal thymic lobes under high oxygen submersion conditions and for the preparation of reaggregate thymus organ cultures are provided. Finally, a simple and practical method that allows for the thymus-independent generation of T cells from defined sources of stem/progenitor cells by OP9-DL1 coculture is described.

Evidence level

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

Browse all related research

Filter the research library by this study's title keywords, author, or publication year.