Less invasive way to collect immune cells from the thoracic duct
Minimally invasive access and aspiration of circulating lymphocytes from the thoracic duct
This project is developing a new catheter and ultrasound-guided procedure to collect lymph and immune cells from the thoracic duct to help people who may need cell-based treatments for cancer or autoimmune conditions.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Lymphaxis, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Mountain View, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11143876 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
The team is building a small catheter and a guided procedure that reaches the thoracic duct under ultrasound to gently draw lymph fluid rich in immune cells. They plan to finish device development, prepare for FDA clearance, scale up manufacturing, and create clinical-use plans. Early work included animal and cadaver testing and prior SBIR phases; the current award focuses on making the device ready for hospitals and clinics. If cleared, the procedure would be done by specialists trained in ultrasound-guided vascular access.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People who might benefit are patients being considered for lymphocyte-based therapies — for example some cancer patients or people with autoimmune diseases who need immune cells for personalized treatments.
Not a fit: Patients who do not need cell-based therapies or whose treatments rely only on standard blood samples are unlikely to benefit directly from this device.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could make it easier to harvest large numbers of lymphocytes for cell therapies, speeding up treatment preparation and reducing reliance on repeated blood draws.
How similar studies have performed: Related techniques in vascular access are well established and the company completed earlier SBIR phases, but direct thoracic-duct lymph collection using this catheter is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Mountain View, United States
- Lymphaxis, INC. — Mountain View, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Callaghan, Matthew — Lymphaxis, INC.
- Study coordinator: Callaghan, Matthew
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.