The immune system is very complicated, but now, it’s on a chip
Lymphoid follicles formed in a microfluidic Organ Chip replicate human immune functions and vaccine responses in vitro
A group of researchers at the Wyss Institute cultured human B and T cells inside a microfluidic Organ Chip device and coaxed them to spontaneously form functional lymphoid follicles structures that reside in lymph nodes and other parts of the human body which mediate immune responses. They consist of different chambers that harbor “naïve” B cells and T cells, which together initiate the cascade of events that leads to a full immune response when they are exposed to a specific antigen.
When the cells were placed inside one of the two channels within the device, nothing remarkable happened — but when the researchers started the flow of culture medium through the other channel to feed the cells, they were surprised to see that the B and T cells started to spontaneously self-organize into 3D structures within the Organ Chip that appeared similar to “germinal centers” – structures within LFs where complex immune reactions take place.
In LFs in the human body, activated B cells mature and differentiate into multiple types of progeny cells including plasma cells, which secrete large amounts of antibodies against a specific pathogen. The team detected the presence of plasma cells in the LF Chips after they applied several stimuli used in the laboratory to activate B cells, such as the combination of the cytokine IL-4 and an anti-CD40 antibody, or dead bacteria. Remarkably, the plasma cells were concentrated in clusters within the LFs, as they would be in vivo.
The scientists had a functional LF model that could initiate an immune response, they explored whether their LF Chip could be used to replicate and study the human immune system’s response to vaccines.
ارسال به دوستان