To better understand why some cancer patients struggle to fight off infections, Georgia Tech researchers have created tiny lab-grown models of human immune systems. These miniature models -; known as human immune organoids -; mimic the real-life environment where immune cells learn to recognize and attack harmful invaders and respond to vaccines. Not only are these organoids powerful new tools for studying and observing immune function in cancer, their use is likely to accelerate vaccine development, better predict disease treatment response for patients, and even speed up clinical trials.
Our synthetic hydrogels create a breakthrough environment for human immune organoids, allowing us to model antibody production from scratch, more precisely, and for a longer duration." Ankur Singh, Carl Ring Family Professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering and professor in the Wallace H.
Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory "For the first time, we can recreate and sustain complex immunological processes in a synthetic gel, using blood, and effectively track B cell responses," he added. "This is a gamechanger for understanding and treating immune vulnerabilities in patients with lymphoma who have undergone cancer treatment -; and hopefully other disorders too." Led by Singh, the team created lab-grown immune systems that mimic human tonsils and lymph node tissue to study immune responses more accurately.
Their research findings, pu.