A new study shows that the Aire protein—best known for helping the immune system learn to tolerate the body’s own tissues—also plays an important role in producing interferons within the thymus. Using single‑cell RNA sequencing, researchers found that mice lacking Aire had weakened interferon‑driven signals in several developing thymus cell types, including maturing T cells and specialized epithelial cells. Interestingly, this effect was not seen in bone marrow cells, suggesting Aire’s influence on interferon activity is specific to the thymus. The findings shed new light on how Aire helps guide healthy immune development and why its absence can contribute to autoimmune disorders.
