Could this mysterious disappearing organ hold the key to longevity?
Researchers are racing to regrow the thymus, an ephemeral immune organ, in the hope that it will slow ageing.
In 1996, cryobiologist Gregory Fahy walked into his physician’s office and talked his way into a month’s supply of growth hormone. His hope, bolstered by a single study in rats 1 , was that the injections would help him to regrow his thymus, a peculiar immune organ that atrophies and practically disappears as people age. Regenerating it, Fahy thought, would help him to live a longer, healthier life.
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Kooshesh, K. A. et al. N. Engl. J. Med. 389 , 406-417 (2023).
Resio, B. J., Canavan, M., Caturegli, G., Detterbeck, F. & Boffa, D. J. J. Thorac. Oncol. 21 , 186-194 (2026).
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