The lymphatic system is a complement to the human circulatory system that specializes in transporting nutrients, fluids, and cells from interstitial spaces to the lymph nodes. In addition, it mediates interstitial fluid levels to establish homeostasis in the immune system, preparing the body for pathogenic attacks. Breakdown of the lymphatic system leads to fatal diseases, so maintaining the lymphatic vessels’ shape, chemical gradients, and the environment in the interstitial spaces is critical. When it comes to studying the lymphatic system, 3D microfluidic on-a-chip devices have become more favorable and accurate experimental models.
Outline of the Human Lymphatic System
Image Source: MedicalRF.com
Producing on-a-chip devices to understand the biology of rare diseases helps the pharmaceutical industry find cures for lymphedema, a common illness that blocks the lymphatic system. Typically, these diseases change the composition of lymph that affect the structure of the lymphatic vessels.
Recently, Dr. Abhishek Jain, assistant professor in Department of Biomedical Engineering at Texas A&M University created lymphangion-chips to study the underlying mechanisms for lymphedema. Their team seeks to discover new target drugs for treatment based on observations concerning how various mechanical forces regulate the lymphatic system. They recreated a lymphangion outside the body by co-culturing a multicellular lymphangion in similar physiological environments.
This chip models the functional unit of a lymph vessel, the lymphangion. The lymphangion is made up of endothelial cells and muscle cells, so it can contract on its own. Endothelial cells lining the inner surface protect the immune cells traveling through the lymph fluid. The muscle cells act like a pump that generates the flow rate of the lymph. It is also responsible for drainage regulation of the lymph as it responds to changing external stimuli. Indeed, dysfunction of these two cell types may be the origin of inflammatory diseases. The cylindrical structure of the chip accurately represents the vascular architecture of the lymph vessels. It allows researchers to model how the endothelial and muscle cells wrap around each other to influence growth. The hallmark of these organ-on-chips is their sensitivity to inflammatory conditions, qualifying it as a promising preclinical model for lymphatic research.
Representation of Endothelial and Muscle Cells
Image Source: MedicalRF.com
Lymphangion organ-on-chips are versatile in unveiling knowledge of the pathology behind lymphedema and how potential drugs may counteract the emergence of this disease. Since there are no current cures, efforts are also trying to include immune cells in organ-on-chips to see how they interact with the lymphangion.
Applications of future organ-on-chip technologies are diverse and allow the medical world to develop effective treatments that rectify the physiological pathways in cancer and other diseases. Development of vasculatures are a milestone in biotechnology that refines our understanding of how diseases evoke systemic responses in our body.
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