Generating and maintaining a diverse repertoire of naive T cells is essential for protection against pathogens, and developing a mechanistic and quantitative description of the processes involved lies at the heart of our understanding of vertebrate immunity. Here, we review the biology of naive T cells from birth to maturity and outline how the integration of mathematical models and experiments has helped us to develop a full picture of their life histories.
Keywords: T cells; mathematical modeling; thymic development.
© 2018 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.