Kyoto Univ. Succeeds in Creating Thymus Cells from iPS Cells

Kyoto, Nov. 7 (Jiji Press)–A team at Kyoto University’s Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, or CiRA, has succeeded in creating component cells for the thymus using human induced pluripotent stem cells. The thymus produces cells linked to T cells, the pivot of the immune system, which attacks and destroys foreign substances that enter the body. This achievement may be useful for treating persons born without a thymus and elderly people with weakened immune systems, according to the research team. A related article from the team was published in international scientific journal Nature Communications. The thymus, an organ located between the breastbone and the heart, produces killer T cells, which attack cancer cells, and helper T cells, which support other immune cells, from progenitor cells for T cells. As people grow older, the thymus gradually decreases in size and function. The team succeeded in creating thymic epithelial cells by adding retinoic acid, which is produced from vitamin A, at an optimal concentration during the process of culturing iPS cells. The thymic epithelial cells were cultured with progenitor cells taken from the human thymus, resulting in the generation of cells with a function similar to that of naive T cells, which are effective in combating various pathogens, the CiRA team said. While immunotherapies that involve the multiplication of T cells have been attracting attention in recent years, a major challenge is that they become ineffective when the target pathogen mutates. “We hope our research will serve as the basis for a new technology to reconstruct the immune systems of patients whose T cells have decreased due to aging or disease treatment,” CiRA professor Yoko Hamazaki, an immunology expert, said. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]