Nude (nu/nu) mice, which lack the thymus, failed to produce an immune response to various antigens. When such animals were injected intravenously with normal thymus cells, lasting immune responsiveness was restored only if the cells came from animals “related” to the nude recipients. The required relationship was probably H-2 compatibility. An allotype marker was used to determine the specificity of the antibody-producing cells. Even after a period of 12 weeks the antibody produced was entirely of host cell type. No evidence that thymus cells may develop into antibody-producing cells was found.
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Berenice Kindred (1971) studied this question.