Thymic Stroma and T Cell Development. Impacts of Retinoic Acid Signaling
The development of functionally competent, self-tolerant T cells in the thymus is an essential prerequisite for the formation of adaptive immune responses against foreign pathogens. Thymic epithelial cells (TECs) form specialized stromal microenvironments in the cortex (cTEC) and medulla (mTEC) of the thymus that support all stages of T cell development, from the entry of thymocyte progenitors to