Müftüoğlu: thymus is immune system's 'war academy' and shrinks with age
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Prof. Dr. Osman Müftüoğlu describes the thymus, located behind the breastbone, as the immune system's 'war college' where T cells are trained. With age, the gland shrinks and is progressively replaced by fat, reducing both the production and diversity of new T cells. In a Nature study of more than 27,000 adults, healthier-looking thymus glands were associated with roughly half the death risk over 12 years, but Müftüoğlu cautions that this does not prove thymus rejuvenation prolongs life.
Key Facts
- The thymus sits behind the breastbone and trains T cells to recognize which targets to attack and which to avoid, Müftüoğlu writes.
- With age, the thymus shrinks and is progressively replaced by fat, while the production and diversity of new T cells decreases.
- A Nature study of more than 27,000 adults found that healthier-looking thymus glands were associated with approximately half the risk of death over 12 years, along with lower cardiovascular death and lung cancer risk.
- Müftüoğlu says no proven treatment rejuvenates the thymus or extends lifespan, but current data link exercise, muscle preservation, not smoking, avoiding excess weight, and good sleep with better thymus health.
Immune 'War College'
Prof. Dr. Osman Müftüoğlu, writing in Sabah, describes the thymus as the immune system's 'Harp Okulu' (war college), where T cells are trained to distinguish targets to attack from those to avoid. The thymus sits behind the breastbone and plays a central role in immune function. Sabah introduced the column by noting that men entering their second fifty years fear losing muscle, hair and memory, while an unspoken loss — the thymus — receives little attention.
Age-Related Thymus Shrinkage
As age advances, the thymus shrinks and is progressively replaced by fat tissue, Müftüoğlu writes. He says the 'war college' does not close, but its classrooms empty: the production and diversity of new T cells falls and the immune system's youthful flexibility begins to disappear. Müftüoğlu frames this process as the mechanism behind the immune system's loss of adaptability in later life.
Nature Study and Lifestyle
A study published in Nature examined chest CT images of more than 27,000 adults using artificial intelligence. Over 12 years of follow-up, participants with healthier-looking thymus glands had approximately half the risk of death, as well as lower risks of cardiovascular death and lung cancer. Müftüoğlu cautions that these results do not prove thymus rejuvenation extends lifespan, but suggest the organ may matter more in adulthood than previously assumed. No treatment has been shown to rejuvenate the thymus and extend life; current data associate movement, muscle preservation, not smoking, avoiding excess weight, and good sleep with better thymus health.
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Müftüoğlu: thymus is immune system's 'war academy' and shrinks with age
