Towards argument-driven validation of an in silico model of immune tissue organogenesis

Abstract

Specialised tissues of the immune system including lymph nodes, tonsils, spleen and Peyer's Patches have key roles in the initiation of adaptive immune responses to infection. To understand the molecular mechanisms involved in the development of this tissue, mice deficient for key genes in this process have been developed and analysed, leading to a basic model describing tissue formation. Although this approach has provided some key insights into the molecular mechanisms involved, due to the complexity of gene expression patterns it has not been possible to fully understand the process of lymphoid tissue organogenesis. © 2011 Springer-Verlag.