Glimmer of Hope to Restore Damage Immune Systems

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1998. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

Glimmer of Hope to Restore Damage Immune Systems

Reuters (12/16/98)
Reaney, Patricia

Scientists are investigating ways to increase production from the thymus gland in order to strengthen the immune system in people who experience immunodeficiency, including people with AIDS. It was originally believed that the thymus gland, which produces T-cells, lost most of its function due to aging; however, Dr. Richard Koup and colleagues from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center report in the journal Nature that the gland merely slows down after puberty. If researchers can develop a method to increase the output from the thymus, people with HIV or people who receive chemotherapy may be able to recover some T-cell output. They have not yet developed a method to accomplish this.

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