Comprehensive analysis of circRNA expression profiles and circRNA-associated ceRNA networks in age-related changes of mouse thymus

Our findings further expand the current knowledge regarding the biology of ceRNAs and their regulatory roles in thymic development and involution process. These newly discovered networks provide more ideas for further research about age-related thymic changes in the future. Overall design: we used miRNA sequencing and LncRNA sequencing to detect several time points in mouse thymic development (2, 6 weeks old and 3 months old) to study the underlying biological mechanisms in the rapid development of the thymus after birth (from 2 weeks old to 6 weeks old) and the subsequent decline process (from 6 weeks old to 3 months old).