Lung-on-a-Chip has its Own Immune System

Researchers at Georgia Tech have developed a groundbreaking “lung-on-a-chip” device that includes a functional immune system. This innovation allows for the observation of how lungs respond to threats, inflammation, and healing in a way that closely mimics living human lungs, marking a significant step beyond previous models.

The new lung-on-a-chip is a pliable polymer chip containing microscopic channels lined with living human cells, designed to simulate the behavior of a human lung. A key advancement is the integration of a working immune system into the chip, a component previously missing in organ-on-a-chip models.

This allows researchers to observe immune cells circulating and responding to threats, such as a severe influenza virus infection, with remarkable accuracy. The model has demonstrated the ability to replicate immune cell migration, inflammation spread, and defense activation, providing insights into disease progression and the effectiveness of antiviral treatments.