Thymus: The aging immune regulator linked to longevity and cancer therapy

Scientists are reframing the thymus—a two-lobed gland behind the breastbone—as a central regulator of aging and immune health, with healthier thymuses linked to longer lifespans, lower cancer and heart-disease risk, and better responses to cancer immunotherapy; researchers are pursuing thymus rejuvenation and engineered thymic tissue to boost vaccines and transplant tolerance.