Multi-organ tissue chips to study immune communication ex vivo
Official title: Multi-organ culture and pumping systems for ex vivo models of immunity in hybrid tissue-chips
Funded at University of Virginia · NIH-11521324 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Aiding researchers with a tiny, patient-friendly model that mimics how lymph nodes talk to organs to improve vaccines and treatments.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Virginia NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Charlottesville, United States) |
| Project start | July 19, 2023 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $137,808 |
| NIH project number | 3R01AI174207-04S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11521324 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are researchers and clinicians who study immunology, infectious diseases, cancer, vaccines, or autoimmune conditions and seek to model human immune interactions ex vivo.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not involved in the research or those not studying immune responses or vaccine development may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This project will create 3D-printed, multi-organ microdevices that culture intact tissue slices and move immune cells between them in a controlled flow. By simulating how the lymph node communicates with distant organs, scientists hope to better understand responses to infections, vaccines, and tumors. The system aims to be user-friendly for immunologists, enabling precise control of fluid flow and cell movement to study immune interactions outside the body. The work builds on prior microfluidic approaches to model tumor-related immune changes and will advance ex vivo models for immune research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the model could speed up vaccine design and improve understanding of immune responses, potentially guiding better therapies.
How similar studies have gone: Previous tissue-slice co-culture approaches showed promise in capturing immune dynamics, supporting further development of multi-organ immune models.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Pompano, Rebecca R — University of Virginia
- Study coordinator: Pompano, Rebecca R
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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.