Role of the thymus in murine leukæmia

Abstract

LYMPHOCYTIC neoplasms with characteristic thymic involvement occur spontaneously with high frequency in certain strains of mice1, and in other strains following X-irradiation2, chemical carcinogens 3 or the inoculation at birth of cell-free extracts of leukæmic tissue from high leukæmic strain mice4. Total thymectomy has been shown to reduce markedly the incidence of the disease, either spontaneous1 or induced2,3. No report has yet appeared as to the effect of subsequent thymectomy on the occurrence of the disease in mice inoculated at birth with leukæmia extracts. Harris5 has, however, an interesting theory which suggests that non-cellular leukæmic-inducing extracts might be capable of replacing thymic influence. Latarjet et al.6 and Furth et al.7 have shown that inoculation of Ak leukæmic cell-free extracts into newborn Ak mice accelerates the development of leukæmia. The effect of thymectomy on this acceleration has been investigated and reported here. © 1959 Nature Publishing Group.