IN VITRO GERMINAL CENTERS

• Main Authors: FAHLENKAMP, HEATHER, LI, CONAN, MISHKIN, ERIC, SUKUMAR, SELVA, EL SHIKH, MOHEY ELDIN, TEW, JOHN G, SANCHEZ-SCHMITZ, GUZMAN, MOSQUERA, LUIS, KACHURIN, ANATOLY, M, HIGBEE, RUSSELL, WARREN, WILLIAM L, DRAKE, DONALD III
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 21.10.2015
• Subjects: BEER; BIOCHEMISTRY; CHEMISTRY; COMPOSITIONS OR TEST PAPERS THEREFOR; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF; CONDITION-RESPONSIVE CONTROL IN MICROBIOLOGICAL ORENZYMOLOGICAL PROCESSES; CULTURE MEDIA; ENZYMOLOGY; MEASURING OR TESTING PROCESSES INVOLVING ENZYMES, NUCLEICACIDS OR MICROORGANISMS; METALLURGY; MICROBIOLOGY; MICROORGANISMS OR ENZYMES; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING; ORGANIC CHEMISTRY; PEPTIDES; PROCESSES OF PREPARING SUCH COMPOSITIONS; PROPAGATING, PRESERVING OR MAINTAINING MICROORGANISMS; SPIRITS; VINEGAR; WINE

The present invention incorporates germinal centers (GCs) into three-dimensional (3D) engineered tissue constructs (ETCs). In an embodiment, we have incorporated the GC in the design of an artificial immune system (AIS) to examine immune responses to vaccines and other compounds. Development of an in vitro GC adds functionality to an AIS, in that it enables generation of an in vitro human humoral response by human B lymphocytes that is accurate and reproducible, without using human subjects. The invention also permits evaluation of, for example, vaccines, allergens, and immunogens, and activation of human B cells specific for a given antigen, which can then be used to generate human antibodies. In an embodiment of the present invention the function of the in vitro GC is enhanced by placing FDCs and other immune cells in a 3D ETC; FDCs appear more effective over a longer time (antibody production is sustained for up to about 14 days.