THE FAILURE OF THYMUS-DERIVED CELLS TO PRODUCE ANTIBODY

Abstract

The capacities of cells of thymus and bone marrow origin taken from radiation chimaeras to produce antibody during a secondary immune response have been tested in an in vivo transfer system. Although it could be shown that thymus-derived cells respond vigorously by mitosis to antigenic stimulation they were not capable of antibody production. By contrast bone marrow-derived cells did not in the first 3 days respond mitotically to antigenic stimulation but they were capable of limited antibody production. Most antibody was found when both cell populations were allowed to react to antigenic stimulation.