胸腺在T细胞的分化发育过程中起着重要作用。现已从胸腺和外周血中提取分离出多种胸腺激素和因子,可部分地代替胸腺诱导前T细胞的分化和成熟。Savino等报道抗FTS的单抗能特异性地与胸腺上皮细胞结合,提示这种细胞含有FTS。用电镜可观察到胸腺上皮细胞内含有能合成蛋白的分泌性颗粒,表明该细胞具有分泌蛋白类激 Thymus plays an important role in the differentiation and development of T cells. Thymus and peripheral blood has been extracted from a variety of thymus hormones and factors that can be partially replaced thymus induction of T cell differentiation and maturation. Savino et al reported that anti-FTS monoclonal antibody specifically binds to thymus epithelial cells, suggesting that such cells contain FTS. Electron microscopy showed that thymic epithelial cells contained secretory granules that could synthesize protein, suggesting that the cells had secreted proteins