Immunospheres: creating an immune system in a microparticle
Abstract
Human survival is critically dependent on a strong and active immune system, comprising a range of specialized cell types and molecules that together create a stronghold in our bodies against invasion by foreign pathogens. A key weapon of the immune system is antibody a type of molecule that can bind and neutralize invading threats and target them for destruction. High quality antibody responses are the aim of vaccination. and the search for a method to optimize these is an ongoing effort, worldwide. The need for better technologies to study immune responses and design protective vaccines is imperative. Research into the ways the immune system works has been incremental over decades because of complex cellular interactions that can t be recapitulated in vitro. Worldwide, similar problems in the understanding of complex physiological systems are being resolved through the re-creation of particular organs or tissues in the laboratory, on a chip or in a Petri dish. These bioengineered organ systems are known as organoids. The development of organoid models is becoming the technology of choice for investigation and manipulation of complex organ physiology for drug screening programs that avoid the need for animal models and allowing testing of personalized medicine approaches. The approach is being utilized in other centers to study several cancer models, thymus physiology and regeneration of tissues including heart, muscle and gut. It is time that an immune response was recapitulated in the lab to enable the development of advanced investigation using these contemporary biomedical technologies. We have designed a way to create an immune system organoid. which we have called the Immunosphere. The Immunosphere is an immune system encased in and supported by a gelatin capsule and biomatrix. It is a laboratory tool that can reveal the events involved in antibody formation allowing us to discover and test new vaccines and drugs that can enhance or inhibit this process. Using Immunosphere we can readily study and manipulate the interactions between the cells and molecules involved in antibody production, in a way that has not been possible before. The next steps in this research program are to: 1. Fine-tune the immune response encapsulated within the Immunosphere to produce optimal antibody responses 2. Characterize the transfer of Immunosphere-generated antibodies into the body 3. Optimize the conditions for Immunosphere success within the body Once we achieve these goals, we can leverage funding to continue our work in developing this important new tool. The Immunosphere has the potential to be: ¥A new platform to study the complex physiology of immune responses, and to harness this knowledge to manipulate them ¥ A far superior alternative to traditional methods of candidate drug and vaccine screening ¥ A tool to discover new treatments for lupus, a serious and incurable antibody-driven autoimmune disease that has substantial health and financial impacts for Defense (costing Defense around $500 million p.a.) ¥ Injected into people to deliver immunity in a completely new way, conceivably in the field The potential applications for the Immunosphere system are extremely important and exciting!
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- May 07, 2018
- Source ID
- W911NF1710386
Entities
People
- Sarah A Jones
Organizations
- Army Contracting Command
- Monash University
- United States Army