Thymus may play key role in adult health
LIFE. BUT THAT’S NOT ALL. HERE’S JESSICA BROWN. WELL, SOME PEOPLE MAY CONFUSE THYMUS WITH THYROID, BUT THEY ARE TWO DIFFERENT ORGANS. SO YOUR THYROID IS LOCATED RIGHT HERE AT THE FRONT OF YOUR NECK. IT PRODUCES HORMONES TO CONTROL YOUR METABOLISM. YOUR THYMUS IS IN YOUR CHEST. YOU CAN SEE IT HERE. THAT TRIANGLE SHAPED ORGAN TUCKED IN BEHIND THE HEART AND LUNGS. WELL, FOR DECADES, DOCTORS THOUGHT IT ONLY FUNCTION DURING CHILDHOOD, CREATING T CELLS TO BUILD AN IMMUNE SYSTEM. THEN, ONCE A KID HITS PUBERTY, THE BODY NO LONGER NEEDED IT. BUT NOW, A RESEARCH TEAM AT MASS GENERAL BRIGHAM SAYS THE THYMUS APPEARS TO HAVE A VERY IMPORTANT ROLE FOR ADULTS. THEIR STUDIES USED AI TO REVIEW ROUTINE CT SCANS FOR MORE THAN 2500 PATIENTS IN THE FRAMINGHAM HEART STUDY, AND ABOUT 25,000 ADULTS IN A NATIONAL SCREENING PROGRAM FOR LUNG CANCER. WE FOUND THAT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WITH HEALTHIER SINUSES, THEY LIVE LONGER ON GENERAL, BUT THEY ALSO HAD LOWER RISK OF MAJOR DISEASES. SO INCLUDING CANCER AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE. WE ALSO FOUND IN CANCER PATIENTS RECEIVING IMMUNOTHERAPY. SO A TREATMENT THAT REALLY DEPENDS ON THE STRENGTH OF THE OF THE IMMUNE SYSTEM OF OF A PATIENT, THAT THE HEALTH OF THE THE THYMUS WAS ALSO VERY IMPORTANT FOR THE TREATMENT SUCCESS. WITH MORE RESEARCH, THE HOPE IS DOCTORS CAN USE DATA FROM A PATIENT’S THYMUS TO DETERMINE THEIR RISK FOR CERTAIN DISEASES AN
Researchers at Mass General Brigham say the thymus may continue to play a significant role in adult health. Using artificial intelligence, the team analyzed routine CT scans from more than 2,500 participants in the Framingham Heart Study and about 25,000 adults in a national lung cancer screening program. The findings suggest the thymus could provide valuable insights into a person’s risk for certain diseases. Scientists believe the organ’s activity in adults may be more important than previously understood, particularly in relation to the immune system.
Researchers at Mass General Brigham say the thymus may continue to play a significant role in adult health.
Using artificial intelligence, the team analyzed routine CT scans from more than 2,500 participants in the Framingham Heart Study and about 25,000 adults in a national lung cancer screening program.
The findings suggest the thymus could provide valuable insights into a person’s risk for certain diseases. Scientists believe the organ’s activity in adults may be more important than previously understood, particularly in relation to the immune system.
