The thymus, a vital organ producing the immune system’s T cells, is one of the first to diminish in function as we age, resulting in a gradual loss of T cell production and eventually increased susceptibility to infections and cancer. Researchers have identified factors affecting the cells in the thymus that set in motion this loss, paving the way to develop targeted strategies for the recovery of T cells to help combat infections and cancers.
Source: EurekaAlert, https://www.eurekalert.org