Sanofi Pasteur Vaxdesign Corporation

Virginia Commonwealth University

Selva Sukumar

William L Warren

Russell Higbee

Heather Fahlenkamp

Guzman Sanchez-Schmitz

Anatoly Kachurin

Eric Mishkin

Donald Drake

Conan Li

John G Tew

Mohey Eldin M El Shikh

Luis Mosquera

Donald Iii Drake

Mohey Eldin El Shikh

The present invention incorporates germinal centers (GCs) into three-dimensional (3D) engineered tissue constructs (ETCs). In an embodiment, we have incorporated the GC in the design of an artificial immune system (AIS) to examine immune responses to vaccines and other compounds. Development of an in vitro GC adds functionality to an AIS, in that it enables generation of an in vitro human humoral response by human B lymphocytes that is accurate and reproducible, without using human subjects. The invention also permits evaluation of, for example, vaccines, allergens, and immunogens, and activation of human B cells specific for a given antigen, which can then be used to generate human antibodies. In an embodiment of the present invention the function of the in vitro GC is enhanced by placing FDCs and other immune cells in a 3D ETC; FDCs appear more effective over a longer time (antibody production is sustained for up to about 14 days.

Methods for assaying responses to vaccines

Methods of evaluating an immune response to an antigen

In vitro germinal centers

Growing community of inventors

Berkeley, CA, United States of America

Selva Sukumar