Developing iPSC-derived off-the-shelf therapies for restoring thymus function in immunodeficiency.

A characteristic feature of most, if not all, cancer patients is that they are immune suppressed, in part due to a marked loss in T cells. This immunodeficiency results from a combination of factors including, chemotherapy and natural the ageing processes which deplete thymus function. The thymus is an immune organ where T cells develop. Without a functioning thymus, patients are susceptible to cancer relapse and infection. This project focused on restoring thymus function in immunodeficient models using T cell progenitors generated from human stem cells.