{"678374":{"#nid":"678374","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Lab-Grown Human Immune System Model Uncovers Weakened Response in Cancer Patients ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETo better\u0026nbsp;understand why some cancer patients struggle to fight off infections, Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;researchers have created tiny lab-grown models of human immune systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese miniature models \u2014 known as human immune organoids \u2014\u0026nbsp;mimic the\u0026nbsp;real-life environment where immune cells learn to\u0026nbsp;recognize and attack harmful invaders\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;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.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur 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,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/singh\u0022\u003EAnkur Singh\u003C\/a\u003E, Carl Ring Family Professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E and professor in\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bme.gatech.edu\/bme\/\u0022\u003EWallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;at Georgia Tech and Emory.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cFor the first time, we can recreate and sustain complex immunological processes in a synthetic gel, using blood, and effectively track B cell responses,\u201d he added. \u201cThis is a gamechanger for understanding and treating immune vulnerabilities in patients with lymphoma who have undergone cancer treatment \u2014 and hopefully other disorders too.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELed by Singh, the team created lab-grown immune systems that mimic human tonsils and lymph node tissue to study immune responses more accurately. Their \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41563-024-02037-1\u0022\u003Eresearch findings\u003C\/a\u003E, published in the journal \u003Cem\u003ENature Materials\u003C\/em\u003E, mark a shift toward in vitro models that more closely represent human immunology. The team also included investigators from Emory University, Children\u2019s Hospital of Atlanta, and Vanderbilt University.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDesigning a Tiny Immune System Model\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers were inspired to address a critical issue in biomedical science: the poor success rate of translating preclinical findings from animal models into effective clinical outcomes, especially in the context of immunity, infection, and vaccine responses.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhile animal models are valuable for many types of research, they often fail to accurately mirror realistic human immune biology, disease mechanisms, and treatment responses,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bioengineering.gatech.edu\/user\/1585\u0022\u003EMonica (Zhe) Zhong\u003C\/a\u003E, a Bioengineering Ph.D. student and the paper\u2019s first author. \u201cTo address this, we designed a new model that faithfully replicates the unique complexity of human immune biology across molecular, cellular, tissue, and system levels.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team used synthetic hydrogels to recreate a microenvironment where B cells from human blood and tonsils can mature and produce antibodies. When immune cells from healthy donors or lymphoma patients are cultured in these gel-like environments, the organoids support longer cell function, allowing processes like antibody formation and adaptation to occur \u2014\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\/strong\u003Esimilar to the human body. Utilizing the organoids for individual patients helps predict how that individual will respond to infection.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe models also enable researchers to control and test immune responses under various conditions. The team discovered that not all tissue sources are the same, and tonsil cells struggled with longevity issues. They used a specialized setup to study how healthy immune cells react to signals that help them fight infections, which failed to trigger the same response in cells from lymphoma survivors who seemingly have recovered from immunotherapy treatment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUsing organoids embedded in a novel immune organ-on-chip technology, the team observed that immune cells from lymphoma survivors treated with certain immunotherapies do not organize themselves into specific \u201czones,\u201d the way they normally would in a strong immune response. This lack of organization may help explain some immune challenges cancer survivors face, as evidenced by recent clinical findings.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Game-Changing Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis research is primarily of interest to infectious disease researchers, cancer researchers, immunologists, and healthcare professionals\u0026nbsp; dedicated to improving patient outcomes. By studying these miniature immune systems, they can identify why current treatments may not be effective and explore new strategies to enhance immune defenses.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Lymphoma patients treated with CD20-targeted therapies often face increased susceptibility to infections that can persist years after completing therapy.Understanding these long-term impacts on antibody responses could be key to improving both safety and quality of life for lymphoma survivors,\u201d said Dr. Jean Koff, associate professor in the department of Hematology and Oncology at Emory University\u2019s Winship Cancer Institute and a co-author on the paper.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis technology provides deeper biological insights and an innovative way to monitor for recovery of immunological defects over time. It could help clinicians better identify patients who would benefit from specific interventions that reduce infection risk,\u201d Koff added.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnother critical and promising aspect of the research is its scalability: An individual researcher can make hundreds of organoids in a single sitting. The model\u2019s capability to target different populations \u2014 both healthy and immunosuppressed patients \u2014 vastly increases its usability for vaccine and therapeutic testing.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAccording to Singh, who directs the \u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/immunoengineering.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECenter for Immunoengineering at Georgia Tech\u003C\/a\u003E, the team is already pushing the research into new dimensions, including developing cellular therapies and an aged immune system model to address aging-related questions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAt the end of the day, this work most immediately affects cancer patients and survivors, who often struggle with weakened immune responses and may not respond well to standard treatments like vaccines,\u201d Singh explained. \u201cThis breakthrough could lead to new ways of boosting immune defenses, ultimately helping vulnerable patients stay healthier and recover more fully.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe work was initially funded by the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/wellcomeleap.org\/hope\/\u0022\u003EWellcome Leap HOPE program\u003C\/a\u003E. This support has led to a boost in recent funding, including \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/nih-awards-75-million-ankur-singh-pioneering-human-immune-organoid-research\u0022\u003Ea recent $7.5M grant\u003C\/a\u003E from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECitation\u003C\/strong\u003E: Zhong, Z., Qui\u00f1ones-P\u00e9rez, M., Dai, Z.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003Eet al.\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;Human immune organoids to decode B cell response in healthy donors and patients with lymphoma.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003ENat. Mater.\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;(2024).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDOI\u003C\/strong\u003E: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41563-024-02037-1\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41563-024-02037-1\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFunding\u003C\/strong\u003E: Wellcome Leap HOPE Program, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Cancer Institute, and Georgia Tech Foundation\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe miniature models could exponentially accelerate vaccine development, cancer treatment research, and improved health outcomes across a spectrum of diseases.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The miniature models could exponentially accelerate vaccine development, cancer treatment research, and improved health outcomes across a spectrum of diseases."}],"uid":"36123","created_gmt":"2024-11-12 18:22:09","changed_gmt":"2024-12-04 19:20:55","author":"Catherine Barzler","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2024-11-12T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2024-11-12T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"675590":{"id":"675590","type":"image","title":"chip organoid.png","body":"\u003Cp\u003EThe left image shows the immune organ-on-chip, where the organoids (right) are grown to study the response of human donors. The right image shows development of types of immune cells relevant to the antibody response. (Credit: Ankur Singh)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1731427813","gmt_created":"2024-11-12 16:10:13","changed":"1731427813","gmt_changed":"2024-11-12 16:10:13","alt":"Organ-on-chip","file":{"fid":"259230","name":"Ankur article.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/11\/12\/Ankur%20article.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/11\/12\/Ankur%20article.png","mime":"image\/png","size":1458716,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/11\/12\/Ankur%20article.png?itok=rv34BV6L"}},"675599":{"id":"675599","type":"image","title":"singh zhong.png","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAnkur 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, and Monica (Zhe) Zhong, a Bioengineering Ph.D. student and the paper\u2019s first author.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1731437231","gmt_created":"2024-11-12 18:47:11","changed":"1731437231","gmt_changed":"2024-11-12 18:47:11","alt":"Ankur Singh and Monica (Zhe) Zhong..","file":{"fid":"259240","name":"singh zhong.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/11\/12\/singh%20zhong.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/11\/12\/singh%20zhong.png","mime":"image\/png","size":6386658,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/11\/12\/singh%20zhong.png?itok=UQqeUA7E"}}},"media_ids":["675590","675599"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/nih-awards-75-million-ankur-singh-pioneering-human-immune-organoid-research","title":"NIH Awards $7.5 Million to Ankur Singh for Pioneering Human Immune Organoid Research"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"193266","name":"cos-research"},{"id":"192250","name":"cos-microbial"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECatherine Barzler, Senior Research Writer\/Editor\u003Cbr\u003EInstitute Communications\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:catherine.barzler@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ecatherine.barzler@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["catherine.barzler@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}