The role of cell traffic in the emergence of the T lymphoid system

The role of the thymus is to ensure the differentiation and selection of T lymphocytes, which are one of the major players in the immune system. Recent studies show that the establishment of the T lymphoid system requires a complex cell traffic. In this field, avian embryos yield particularly informative developmental models because they are amenable to many experimental approaches during the phases of morphogenesis, and, in addition, the immune system resembles that of mammals