Thymus and aging: potential of gene therapy for restoration of endocrine thymic function in thymus-deficient animal models.

GOYA RG,; CÓNSOLE GM,; HEREÑÚ CB,; BROWN OA,; RIMOLDI OJ

GERONTOLOGY

Karger

Lugar: Basel; Año: 2002 vol. 48 p. 325 - 325

0304-324X

p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none">Abstract Objective and Background: The aim of the present articleis to discuss the potential of gene therapy for thymic hormones as a novel therapeutic strategy to treat dyshomeostatic states associated with athymia, as Di George syndrome, or hypothymic conditions like those associated with AIDS, chronic stress or aging. First we review the advantages of the athymic (nude) mouse as an animal model to implement experimental thymic hormone gene therapy strategies to restore endocrine thymic function. The aging rat, known to be markedly hypo