Day after day, scientific research reveals new data that reconsiders previous concepts. After it was long believed that the thymus gland loses its importance after puberty, recent studies have begun to highlight its vital role more clearly, which may change our understanding of health and lead to the adoption of different lifestyles.
The forgotten hero
The thymus gland is located in the upper part between the lungs, behind the sternum of the rib cage, and begins its work during the formation of the fetus in its mother’s womb to specifically receive white lymphocytes and contribute to their maturation and differentiation, forming T-cells. It completes most of its work during childhood, and is in turn responsible for confronting viruses, bacteria, and foreign bodies that invade the body later.
The thymus gland is one of the parts of the lymphatic system. It begins to atrophy and loses a large part of its functions with adulthood, so most of its functional tissue turns into inactive fatty tissue.
The thymus gland has been neglected for decades, although it may be a key element in explaining differences in aging rates between individuals, and perhaps also a factor influencing patients’ response to cancer treatments. Could taking care of this long-overlooked gland be the key to a longer, healthier life?
AI-powered study
A team of researchers led by Professor Hugo Aerts from the Mass General Bergham Research Foundation in the United States conducted a study, the results of which were published in the journal Nature, which clarified the relationship between the thymus gland in adults and the health of the body in the long term, as it was shown that this gland contributes to slowing down the aging of the body and strengthening its immunity against some serious diseases such as cancer, so that it gains better health for longer years.
The study relied on analyzing data from a large number of participants within two long-term studies. The first was the National Lung Cancer Screening Trial, which included 25,031 people who were followed for 12 years, and the second was the Framingham Heart Study, which included 2,581 participants who were followed for decades.
The total sample in the analysis was 27,612 people. The researchers developed an artificial intelligence-based model to analyze computed tomography (CT) images, with the aim of assessing the condition of the thymus gland and linking it to health indicators recorded in the participants’ files.
The thymus gland is the secret to better health
After analyzing the results among the participants, the results showed that the health of the thymus gland is linked to the body’s acquisition of a higher immune level, which was reflected positively in the participants achieving a healthier life with a lower risk of diseases, most notably cancer and cardiovascular diseases that cause death.
In order to confirm and accurately evaluate the results, the researchers controlled for other factors that may play a role in the poor health condition that any person may experience, such as age and accompanying diseases. The results were contrary to expectations and revealed the role of the thymus gland, which proved pivotal regardless of any other factors among the participants. The result was that the thymus gland is a strong predictive indicator of the patients’ future health.
Does it threaten the lung?
After classifying the participants according to the condition of their thymus gland, participants with a moderate to high level of thymus health recorded impressive results that revealed a lower mortality rate associated with lung cancer, and even a lower risk of developing lung cancer and other types of cancer, in addition to the positive relationship between the health of the thymus gland and the death rate from lung diseases in general, which was 61% lower compared to patients whose thymus condition was weak and deteriorating.
Protection against heart disease
The study also showed that the thymus gland is linked to heart health and what is related to it. The risk of death resulting from cardiovascular diseases was reduced in people who had a better level of health for the thymus gland.
The rate of death from cardiovascular disease was 7.5% among participants with a weaker thymus gland, compared to 2.9% for people with a better thymus gland. Their rates of cardiovascular disease were also lower.
In this regard, researchers found that the condition of the thymus gland is associated with levels of triglycerides, cholesterol, and blood pressure, the high levels of which cause a higher rate of deterioration of the thymus gland, and thus a higher incidence of cardiovascular disease, while a higher level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) was associated with an improved health condition of the thymus gland.
Extended effect
The thymus gland continued to record amazing results in the study, revealing its effect that extends to reducing the risk associated with other diseases. The death rate from diseases resulting from metabolic disorders such as diabetes decreased to approximately 68% among those with a healthier thymus gland.
The risk of death resulting from problems in the liver, gallbladder, and pancreas decreased in people with a healthier thymus gland, to 54% compared to those with a weaker thymus gland.
Infections and habits
In an attempt to understand the factors that strengthen or weaken the thymus gland, researchers have studied the effect of chronic inflammation on its health.
After analyzing blood samples and measuring the levels of inflammatory proteins, it was found that high chronic inflammation in the body is associated with decreased efficiency of the gland and accelerated deterioration, which increases the risk of diseases such as atherosclerosis, cancer, and arthritis, especially with age.
The results also showed that lifestyle plays an important role in the efficiency of the thymus gland. Obesity, lack of fiber intake, and reliance on carbohydrates have been linked to accelerated aging of the immune system, which negatively affects the health of the gland.
Smoking, stress, and lack of physical activity also contribute to weakening immunity and raising inflammatory indicators, which may accelerate gland atrophy and deterioration.
However, the exact relationship between the thymus gland and general health is still not conclusively settled; The question remains as to whether deteriorating health leads to the shrinkage of the gland, or whether the weakness of the gland is what negatively affects the body’s immunity and increases its susceptibility to diseases, which requires further studies to determine the nature of this causal relationship.
Role in cancer treatment
In the same context, an international team of researchers in the fields of medicine and artificial intelligence from the United States, Europe, and Britain revealed remarkable results regarding the role of the thymus gland in enhancing the response to immunotherapy used in cancer treatment.
The study, which was recently published in the journal Nature, was based on the analysis of computed tomography (CT) images of about 3,476 patients receiving immunosuppressants to attack cancer cells.
The results showed that patients with better thymus glands had a higher response to immunotherapy, with these benefits observed in patients with lung cancer, melanoma – a type of skin cancer – breast cancer, kidney cancer, and bladder cancer.
The researchers indicated that evaluating the condition of the thymus gland may constitute a decisive factor in determining which patients are most suitable for immunotherapy, which contributes to achieving better treatment results.
Thymectomy exacerbates the condition
In a previous study that supports the results of the current research, researchers in the United States conducted an analysis, the results of which were published in the journal NEJM in 2023, which included 1,146 adult patients, some of whom underwent thymectomy, with a follow-up that lasted 20 years.
The results showed that the risk of death increased by 2.9 times among those who had the gland removed compared to others, and the incidence of cancer was 7.4% compared to 3.7% among those who kept it.
These results reinforce the vital role of the thymus gland as an essential component of the immune system, which contributes to protection against many diseases in advanced stages of life.
Although the health status of the thymus gland varies between individuals, and this may be affected by genetic factors that give some people greater efficiency than others, adopting a healthy lifestyle – such as exercising, maintaining a moderate weight, and quitting smoking – clearly contributes to supporting its functions and enhancing general health.
If the positive and pivotal relationship between the thymus gland and the body’s long-term health is confirmed, this will place it in an advanced position among the vital organs, after it had remained outside the circle of attention for a long time compared to other glands.