March 2026 in “Journal of Zhejiang University (Medical Sciences)” This study reported that in mice with rapamycin-induced thymic atrophy, Angelica sinensis promoted thymic cortical regeneration and functional recovery by activating the Wnt/CTNNB1/Foxn1 signaling pathway and improving inflammatory microenvironment, suggesting its potential benefit against immune aging.
In this study, researchers identified IL18R+ thymus-resident regulatory T cells in mice, demonstrating their unique molecular features and resistance to age- and stress-induced thymus involution, highlighting IL18 signaling's role in Treg migration and retention.
5 citations
,
January 2007 in “Immunopharmacology and Immunotoxicology” This study found that 17beta-estradiol enhanced allergy responses in certain age groups of female mice and inhibited thymus involution and regeneration after contact hypersensitivity.
32 citations
,
May 2012 in “PloS one” This study found that despite the persistence of aberrant double-negative T-cells, functional immune-competence was maintained after thymic transplantation in a patient with a rare FOXN1 mutation.
56 citations
,
February 2010 in “PLOS ONE” This study demonstrates that canonical Wnt signaling is crucial for maintaining thymic epithelial microenvironments in postnatal thymus, possibly by affecting TEC progenitor cells.
1 citations
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November 2021 in “American Journal of Clinical Pathology” In this study, autopsies of children who suffered fatal abuse revealed stress-associated markers like telogen effluvium and thymus involution, which may help pathologists identify chronic abuse cases.
This study found that IL18 signaling plays a crucial role in the homing and retention of mature regulatory T cells in the mouse thymus, primarily by upregulating the chemokine receptor CCR6.
27 citations
,
August 2014 in “Wiley interdisciplinary reviews. Developmental biology” This review highlights similarities in the development of thymus and skin epidermis, reporting no new results; the authors emphasize shared molecular mechanisms despite different embryonic origins.
17 citations
,
December 2013 in “PLoS ONE” This study found that the postnatal thymus contains a population of mesenchymal stem cells that may help maintain functional thymic microenvironments.
5 citations
,
January 2022 in “PloS one” This study found that lineage-restricted loss of p63 in murine thymic epithelial cells resulted in severe thymic hypoplasia and absence of hair follicles, indicating p63's critical role in thymic and hair follicle development.
42 citations
,
December 2016 in “Cell Death & Differentiation” This study found that transient mtDNA double strand breaks in mice accelerated aging in certain tissues through increased reactive oxygen species, independent of p21/p53 pathway mediation.
16 citations
,
October 2014 in “Cell death and disease” This study found that over- and ectopic-expression of FoxN1 in early life negatively affected the development of thymic epithelial cells, T and B cells, and skin epithelial cells.
33 citations
,
September 2017 in “Journal of clinical immunology” This review summarizes recent findings on FOXN1's essential role in thymus and skin biology and discusses emerging therapeutic approaches for immune disorders with athymia, but reports no new clinical results.
17 citations
,
June 2019 in “The journal of immunology/The Journal of immunology” This study identified a regulatory element necessary for Foxn1 expression specifically in mouse thymic epithelial cells, crucial for thymus development but not affecting hair follicles.
13 citations
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December 1940 in “The journal of nutrition/The Journal of nutrition” In this study, silver foxes given a yeast "filtrate factor" supplement retained their fur and normal pelts, while those without it experienced fur loss and thymus abnormalities.
2 citations
,
July 2023 in “Toxics” This study observed that high concentrations of rosemary and thyme extract caused thymic tissue damage, decreased IgM and IgG levels, and fluctuated IL-10 levels in chick embryos, with inflammation signs present despite potential benefits.
6 citations
,
August 2022 in “Science immunology” This study identified key regions and transcription factors, including SIX1 and FOXN1 itself, that regulate Foxn1 expression in thymic epithelial cells and hair follicle cells, offering insights into its transcriptional regulation.
9 citations
,
January 1975 in “PubMed” In this study, researchers using a mouse model found that the hairlessness in nude mice is likely due to a shared defect in the thymus and skin, not thymic dysgenesis alone.
December 2025 in “Biology” In this study, researchers observed that chronic stress affected wild-derived house mice differently by sex, with females showing less weight gain and distinct behavioral changes, while males exhibited higher hair corticosterone levels, suggesting divergent coping strategies and implications for sex-specific stress assessment protocols.
29 citations
,
April 2000 in “Journal of histochemistry and cytochemistry/The journal of histochemistry and cytochemistry” This study found that ICAM-1 expression in murine skin is developmentally regulated and crucial for skin and hair follicle remodeling beyond its recognized role in immune responses.
7 citations
,
April 2015 in “General and Comparative Endocrinology” Finasteride negatively affects fish reproduction and gonadal development.
1 citations
,
January 2024 in “Nature communications” This study found that stimulating toll-like receptor 5 via mucosal delivery of a flagellin-containing fusion protein effectively extended lifespan and enhanced healthspan in mice, including improved bone density and cognitive capacity.
21 citations
,
November 2010 in “Journal of molecular medicine” This study found that deleting FoxN1 in specific thymic epithelial cells disrupted the 3D thymic structure and led to age-dependent formation of 2D epithelial cysts, highlighting FoxN1's critical role in thymic morphogenesis.
4 citations
,
May 2006 in “médecine/sciences” This study suggests that the hairless gene encodes a nuclear factor important for hair follicle integrity, and its absence leads to hair follicle loss and defects in tissue development.
9 citations
,
September 2022 in “Journal of Clinical Investigation” In this study, mouse models of 22q11.2 deletion syndrome showed that growth issues in small embryonic thymuses were linked to mesenchymal cells, which could be corrected by substituting with normal mesenchyme.
120 citations
,
February 2009 in “Apoptosis” This review examines apoptotic and anti-apoptotic mechanisms in skin homeostasis and related diseases but presents no new research findings.
96 citations
,
October 2000 in “The FASEB Journal” In this study, researchers found that p75 neurotrophin receptor signaling affects apoptosis during hair follicle regression in mice, and altering its activity might help manage disorders involving early catagen entry.
688 citations
,
June 2007 in “Cell Stem Cell” This study found that deleting the ATR gene in adult mice led to rapid onset of age-related traits such as hair graying and osteoporosis through reduced regenerative capacity.
98 citations
,
December 2003 in “The FASEB Journal” In this study, thymosin beta4 was found to stimulate hair growth in normal rats and mice by affecting key processes in the hair follicle cycle, such as stem cell migration and extracellular matrix remodeling.
53 citations
,
August 2019 in “American journal of human genetics” This study found that FOXN1 haploinsufficiency is a significant genetic factor causing T cell lymphopenia at birth, linked to reduced thymic function in both humans and mice.