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Scientists have begun to create artificial immunity
Last reviewed: 30.06.2025
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Doctors will soon be able to grow parts of the immune system for humans – the spleen and lymph nodes. There is already a clinical need, scientific data and successful attempts to replace part of the immune system with artificial transplants, Japanese scientists report.
Artificial immunity
In an experiment with mice, biologists from Kyoto University showed that artificial lymph nodes work no worse than real, natural ones. To create lymph nodes, scientists used a matrix (sponge) made of polymer and stromal cells (stem cells of bone marrow). Beforehand, scientists introduced several genetic modifications into the stromal cells.
Biologists transplanted an experimental lymph node into a mouse's body, into a kidney capsule. After just three weeks, the polymer sponge produced lymphocytes, and the structure of the node was transformed and acquired the structural features characteristic of a healthy lymph node. Scientists have shown that artificial lymph nodes even participate in the immune response, forming B-lymphocytes, T-lymphocytes, and memory cells.
Scientists write that lymph nodes created without the use of stromal cells are likely to be suitable for clinical use. Japanese scientists have already tested cell-free technology in an experiment on mice.
To create cell-free lymph nodes, biologists used individual molecules that trigger the process of lymphocyte formation. Three weeks later, polymer sponges transplanted into the kidney capsule were “overgrown” with lymphoid tissue and connected to blood vessels. However, the immune response of such lymph nodes was somewhat weaker compared to those created using stromal cells.
In similar experiments with mice, scientists showed that a polymer sponge and cell culture can also replace a lost spleen.
Who needs artificial immunity?
The spleen removes bacteria and foreign particles from the body, and when foreign antigens enter the blood, it provides an immune response - it produces lymphocytes (immune cells). When bone marrow hematopoiesis is suppressed, the spleen also produces formed elements of the blood.
After operations to remove the spleen (splenectomy), the organ's protective functions are disrupted: neutralized bacteria are not removed from the body, toxins are retained in the bloodstream, and the formation of antibodies to bacterial antigens is reduced. As a result, a person becomes more susceptible to infections.
Lymph nodes are located in the form of grains along the lymphatic vessels (usually at the sites of vessel branching). In the lymph node, a cortex and a medulla are distinguished. B cells are concentrated in the cortex, and lymphocytes, macrophages, and other populations of immune system cells are concentrated in the medulla. The area between the cortex and the medulla is the site of T cell concentration. Such proximity of all three types of functionally mature cells creates favorable conditions for the successful development of an immune response.
According to data from Japanese researchers published in Discovery Medicine, artificial lymph nodes will be useful for both cancer patients and simply aging people who, due to natural causes, have weakened immunity.
“In recent years, sufficient scientific data has been collected to finally create artificial lymphoid tissue and organs suitable for clinical practice,” the scientists conclude.
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