WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A study published in the journal Nature showed that the thymus, a small organ in the chest known for training the immune system in childhood, is also important for long-term health and lifespan.
Researchers used AI to analyze over 27,000 patient scans and medical records to assess thymus health. They found that people with healthier thymuses had a 13.4 percent mortality rate, compared with 25.5 percent for those with lower thymic health.
The thymus helps train T cells, which are crucial for fighting infections and disease. Doctors previously thought it stopped being important after puberty because it shrinks with age and produces fewer new T cells. As a result, its role in adult health hasn't been widely studied.
Using a deep-learning AI model, the team measured the size, shape, and composition of participants' thymuses on CT scans to generate a 'thymic health' score. People with higher scores had about 50 percent lower risk of early death, 63 percent lower risk of dying from heart disease, and 36 percent lower risk of developing lung cancer.
The researchers explained that when thymic health and T-cell diversity drop, the immune system struggles to fight new threats, like cancer or infections. They also found that chronic inflammation, smoking, and high body weight were linked to poorer thymic health, indicating that lifestyle may affect immune strength.
In another study of 1,200 cancer patients receiving immunotherapy, those with stronger thymic health had about 37 percent lower risk of cancer progression, and 44 percent lower risk of death. The team also confirmed that higher thymic health scores matched lab markers of ongoing T-cell production, greater T-cell diversity, and stronger immune activity, showing that thymic health can indicate overall immune function.
However, the researchers cautioned that more studies are needed, and the AI-based imaging method isn't yet ready for routine medical use. While lifestyle factors are linked to thymic health, it's not yet clear whether changing them can directly improve thymus function.
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