An artificial analogue of the cells of the immune system has been developed. Free Technical Library News

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An artificial analogue of the cells of the immune system has been developed

24.12.2018

Scientists have created an almost perfect synthetic analogue of human T-lymphocytes, which play a key role in the immune system - protect the body from infections and cancer.

The complex structure of T-lymphocytes, until recently, did not allow bioengineers to mimic the similarity of T-cells, which play a major role in the immune system. They are activated when an infection enters the body or malignant cells form. A characteristic feature of cells is elasticity: they can shrink, deform to one quarter of their normal size, or grow several times to protect the immune system, which complicated the task for scientists.

Researchers from the University of California solved the problem almost flawlessly - they were able to reproduce the shape, size and flexibility of T cells. The team fabricated T cells using a microfluidic system by combining two fluids - mineral oil and an alginate biopolymer. As a result, alginate microparticles copied the shape and structure of natural T cells, and elasticity was created by changing the concentration of calcium ions. In order for the cells to behave like real ones and perform all the protection functions assigned to them, they were coated with phospholipids so that their appearance mimics human cell membranes.

"We have been able to create a new class of artificial T cells that can stimulate the immune system. This should be another tool to fight cancer cells and other carcinogens," says researcher Mohammed Mahdi Hasani-Sadrabadi.

Using the same algorithm, other scientists could create new types of artificial cells, the developers say, which could help better investigate specific diseases or help develop new treatments. In the future, this approach should help create a database of synthetic cells that mimic human cells.

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