Thymus: Conservation in evolution

ABSTRACT From an evolutionary point of view, the thymus is a new organ observed for the first time in fish concomitantly with the appearance of adaptive clonotypical immunity. Hormone and neuropeptide expression was demonstrated in different species suggesting a conserved role of these molecules. An integrated evolution of immune and neuroendocrine responses appears to have been realized by means of the re-use of ancestral material, such as neuroendocrine cells and mediators, to create a thymic microenvironment for the maturation and differentiation of T cells.