| First Author | Han J | Year | 2026 |
| Journal | Cell Mol Immunol | Volume | 23 |
| Issue | 5 | Pages | 505-516 |
| PubMed ID | 41840035 | Mgi Jnum | J:384984 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:8330013 | Doi | 10.1038/s41423-026-01399-7 |
| Citation | Han J, et al. (2026) RNA-binding proteins Zfp36l1 and Zfp36l2 protect against premature thymic involution. Cell Mol Immunol 23(5):505-516 |
| abstractText | The thymus is a primary lymphoid organ in which diverse and self-tolerant T cells are produced from bone marrow-derived hematopoietic progenitors. Progressive, age-associated thymic involution reduces T-cell output and impairs adaptive immunity; however, the molecular mechanisms underlying this process remain elusive. Here, we report that the conditional deletion of the RNA-binding proteins Zfp36l1 and Zfp36l2 in thymic epithelial cells (TECs) leads to a pronounced reduction in the number of TECs during the embryonic stage and early neonatal stage, despite a largely preserved thymus size. Postnatally, these mice exhibit excessive medullary TEC (mTEC) expansion, elevated intrathymic proinflammatory cytokine production, FOXN1 downregulation, and premature thymic involution. These findings reveal a protective role for Zfp36 Tristetraprolin (TTP) family proteins in regulating cytokine levels within the thymic microenvironment and preventing premature thymic involution. Moreover, our results suggest a previously unappreciated connection between central tolerance induction and the onset of age-associated thymic involution. |
