Isolated thymic nurse cells (TNC) represent a specialized microenvironment in vivo where thymocytes interact specifically with subcapsular epithelial cells. They are thought to play a critical role in the process of T cell differentiation. We demonstrate that recombinant murine interferon-gamma and recombinant human tumor necrosis factor-alpha can act on these interactions: they stimulate TNC-derived epithelial cells to establish interactions with thymocytes in vitro and to form new lymphoepithelial complexes. This phenomenon is partially inhibited by anti-Ia monoclonal antibodies. Implications of these findings for normal intrathymic differentiation are discussed.
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Defresne et al. (1990) studied this question.
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