Molecular basis of modern approaches to the thymus productive function analysis

The article provides information about the thymus, which is the central organ of the immune system, providing a microenvironment necessary for the CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocyte maturation and selection. Major events in the history of the thymus gland research are presented. The high importance of the organ in the recovery of the immune system after immunodepletion is demonstrated. The data on the molecular mechanisms of the T cell antigen-receptor diversity formation, which formed the basis of modern approaches to the analysis of the thymus gland productive function, are provided. The use-cases of methods for determining the thymus functional activity in science and clinical practice are shown.