Innovative Lymph Node on a Chip Enhances Immune System Research and Precision Medicine

Scientists at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech have developed a groundbreaking bioengineered model mimicking the supportive tissue within human lymph nodes. This 'lymph node-on-a-chip' recreates essential features such as fluid flow and cellular interactions, offering a sophisticated platform to study immune responses outside the human body. By collaborating with researchers at the University of Virginia, the team aims to deepen understanding of immune functions and disease progression.

Lymph nodes play a crucial role in the immune system, filtering lymph fluid and orchestrating immune responses. Traditional models often rely on animal testing, which can be costly, less accurate, and ethically complex. The new engineered model utilizes human tissue, potentially providing more precise insights into human health and disease.

This innovative approach enables scientists to study how immune cells, particularly T cells, move and behave within the lymphatic system under various conditions, including inflammation. Notably, during inflammatory states, fluid flow within lymph nodes increases, influencing immune cell behavior—a phenomenon accurately reproduced by the model.

The research explores the potential of this lymph node-on-a-chip for several critical applications, including cancer metastasis, autoimmune disorders, vaccine testing, and viral infections. For example, since lymph nodes are common sites for tumor spread, understanding their microenvironment can inform better treatments. Additionally, the model could facilitate personalized therapies by testing how individual patients' tissues respond to different treatments.

Professor Jennifer Munson, the study's lead author, emphasizes that considering fluid dynamics is vital in modeling immune environments. The model's development was partly driven by a challenge prize aimed at advancing alternative biomedical research methods, moving beyond conventional animal models.

This engineered tissue platform marks a significant step toward more ethical, cost-effective, and human-relevant research, promising to accelerate discoveries in immune-related diseases and improve preclinical drug screening processes.

Source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-06-lymph-node-chip-immune-precision.html