Role of chemokines in thymocyte development

As they mature, thymocytes migrate to specific regions of the thymus, inter act with different types of stromal cells, and thereby receive signals for survival, differentiation, or death. Despite its importance, the molecular control of thymocyte trafficking remains poorly understood. Chemokines and their receptors probably control the homing of T cell progenitors to the th ymus, their intrathymic migration, and exit to the periphery. Certain chemo kines are abundant in the thymus, and their receptors are expressed during distinct developmental stages. Below, we discuss recent studies of chemokin es and their receptors in the thymus, speculating on their function in the framework of thymocyte trafficking.