Thymic Stromal Lymphopoietin (TSLP) is a 23 kDa member of the IL-7 family of a-helical cytokines (1-3). It is a monomeric glycoprotein that is synthesized as a 159 amino acid (aa) precursor (4, 5). TSLP appears to have species-specific functions. In mouse, TSLP was initially reported to act on NK cells, mast cells, and B cells, but this does not appear to occur in humans. In humans, TSLP is produced by a number of divergent cell types, all of which appear to target T cells, monocytes, and/or dendritic cells (2). On TCR-activated T cells, TSLP directly induces T cell proliferation (6). The significance of this direct action is unclear. On monocytes, TSLP is reported to induce the release of multiple chemokines that target CCR4, a receptor associated with the Th2 subset (5). TSLP is best known for its direct action on subsets of dendritic cells. In thymic medulla, Hassell
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