Radiolab | My Thymus, Myself | Radiolab Podcast @Radiolabpod | Uploaded July 2022 | Updated October 2024, 19 hours ago.
From the Radiolab podcast: The story of an organ that knows what is you, and what is not you.
In this episode senior correspondent Molly Webster takes us to a spot that may be one of the most philosophical places in the universe: the thymus (not to be confused with the thyroid), an organ that knows what is you, and what is not you. Its mood may be existential, but its role is practical — the thymus is the biological training ground where the body's T-cells learn to protect itself from outside invaders (think: bacteria, coronaviruses). But this training is not the humdrum bit of science you might expect. It’s a magical shadowland with dire consequences.
Then, we’ll leave the thymus to visit a team of doctors who are using this organ that protects you as a way to protect someone else. Their work could change everything about the way we do organ transplants.
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Guests in this episode include: Jenni Punt, professor of immunology at the University of Pennsylvania, School of Veterinary Medicine; Sharon Stranford, immunologist and professor at Pomona College; Joe Turek, chief of pediatric heart surgery at Duke University; Mary-Louise Markert; professor emeritus of pediatrics at Duke University.
Special thanks to Hannah Meyer, Salomé Carcy, Josh Torres and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories for showing us a real-life (mouse) thymus for this episode. Special thanks also go to Diane Mathis and Kate Webb.
Wanna do a little light reading? Here’s the immunology textbook Jenni Punt and Sharon Stranford helped write, including a whole section on that funny little thing called AIRE: amazon.com/Kuby-Immunology-Jenni-Punt/dp/1464189781/ref=sr_1_1?crid=U2FM58TGG160&keywords=Kuby+Immunology&qid=1657053094&s=books&sprefix=kuby+immunology%2Cstripbooks%2C117&sr=1-1
The science paper that first described what happens inside the thymus as an, “immunological self shadow." science.org/doi/abs/10.1126/science.1075958
Photo illustration Anna Rascouët-Paz.
Video by Kim Nowacki.
From the Radiolab podcast: The story of an organ that knows what is you, and what is not you.
In this episode senior correspondent Molly Webster takes us to a spot that may be one of the most philosophical places in the universe: the thymus (not to be confused with the thyroid), an organ that knows what is you, and what is not you. Its mood may be existential, but its role is practical — the thymus is the biological training ground where the body's T-cells learn to protect itself from outside invaders (think: bacteria, coronaviruses). But this training is not the humdrum bit of science you might expect. It’s a magical shadowland with dire consequences.
Then, we’ll leave the thymus to visit a team of doctors who are using this organ that protects you as a way to protect someone else. Their work could change everything about the way we do organ transplants.
🎧 Subscribe to Radiolab wherever you listen to podcasts: bit.ly/3trXDLe
🔎 Subscribe to Radiolab on YouTube: bit.ly/3I9KI53
🌱 Check out Radiolab's Starter Kit Playlist: bit.ly/3sX8f4P
👍 Like this video ✏️ and leave us a comment!
Follow Radiolab:
Instagram — instagram.com/radiolab
Twitter — twitter.com/Radiolab
Facebook — facebook.com/Radiolab
Support Radiolab by becoming a member of The Lab today: wnycstudios.org/podcasts/radiolab/membership
Guests in this episode include: Jenni Punt, professor of immunology at the University of Pennsylvania, School of Veterinary Medicine; Sharon Stranford, immunologist and professor at Pomona College; Joe Turek, chief of pediatric heart surgery at Duke University; Mary-Louise Markert; professor emeritus of pediatrics at Duke University.
Special thanks to Hannah Meyer, Salomé Carcy, Josh Torres and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories for showing us a real-life (mouse) thymus for this episode. Special thanks also go to Diane Mathis and Kate Webb.
Wanna do a little light reading? Here’s the immunology textbook Jenni Punt and Sharon Stranford helped write, including a whole section on that funny little thing called AIRE: amazon.com/Kuby-Immunology-Jenni-Punt/dp/1464189781/ref=sr_1_1?crid=U2FM58TGG160&keywords=Kuby+Immunology&qid=1657053094&s=books&sprefix=kuby+immunology%2Cstripbooks%2C117&sr=1-1
The science paper that first described what happens inside the thymus as an, “immunological self shadow." science.org/doi/abs/10.1126/science.1075958
Photo illustration Anna Rascouët-Paz.
Video by Kim Nowacki.
