BAThyme

Autoimmune diseases (ADs) associated with thymic epithelial tumors (TETs) complicate patient management and therapeutic strategies. The underlying mechanisms linking TETs with ADs, particularly the role of B cells, remain poorly understood. In a pilot study we observed a relevant proportion of TET patients with autoantibodies (autoAbs) in the absence of overt ADs. This project aims to: 1) confirm our preliminary results on a larger cohort of patients and investigate whether autoAbscan serve as early indicators of AD onset in TET patients; 2) explore how surgical resection and oncological treatments impact autoimmunity; 3) investigate the role of B cells in TET-associated autoimmunity, by profiling B cell subsets and addressing B cell clonal expansion according to the presence/absence of overt AD and autoAb profile. The findings may enhance our understanding of the immune dysregulation in TETs, potentially leading to better diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for affected patients.