Transplant Hope: New thymus tissue jump-starts immune system in babies

Babies born without a thymus gland–and therefore bereft of a functioning immune system–are easy prey for disease-causing invaders. If untreated, this deficiency, called severe DiGeorge syndrome, is invariably fatal before a child’s third birthday.

For babies with the syndrome, also called DiGeorge anomaly, a thymus transplant may present a life-changing option.