Shell Game: Microparticles Meet Immune Cells

Shell Game: Microparticles Meet Immune Cells

Collections: Image Award Winners, Cancer Immunology & Immunotherapy

2023 Award Winner

William Rothwell, Morteza Sarmadi, Maria Kanelli, Robert Langer, Ana Jaklenec

Koch Institute at MIT

Core shell microparticles developed in the Jaklenec/Langer Lab are designed to hold vaccines or immunotherapies and release them over days or months through controlled degradation of the encapsulating polymers.

To determine whether immune cells in the skin will affect release timing, researchers first study the immune response to an unfilled microparticle after injection. This slice shows immune cells (green) on the interior surface of the polymer shell (red) beneath its biodegraded cap (blue/pink).  Further classification of the cells will predict their interaction with the particles’ eventual cargo.

red hollow squares with blue in the center and stripe of yellow at the intersection

Video

William Rothwell presents on his image.