glycan biosynthesis modulates host immune cell recognition and response.

Introduction: The pathogenic bacterium has evolved glycan-mediated mechanisms to evade host immune defenses. This study tests the hypothesis that genetic disruption of glycan biosynthesis alters immune recognition and response by human gastric epithelial cells and monocyte-derived dendritic cells.

Methods: To test this hypothesis, human cell lines were challenged with wildtype alongside an array of glycosylation mutants.

A Synthetic Hydrogel, VitroGel ORGANOID-3, Improves Immune Cell-Epithelial Interactions in a Tissue Chip Co-Culture Model of Human Gastric Organoids and Dendritic Cells.

Immunosurveillance of the gastrointestinal epithelium by mononuclear phagocytes (MNPs) is essential for maintaining gut health. However, studying the complex interplay between the human gastrointestinal epithelium and MNPs such as dendritic cells (DCs) is difficult, since traditional cell culture systems lack complexity, and animal models may not adequately represent human tissues. Microphysiological systems, or tissue chips, are an attractive alternative for these investigations, because they model functional features of specific tissues or organs using microscale culture platforms that recreate physiological tissue microenvironments.