Decellularized lymph node sections with preserved extracellular matrix for stromal cell culture.

ABSTRACT: The lymph node (LN) extracellular matrix (ECM) is produced by stromal cells like fibroblastic reticular cells (FRCs) and supports adaptive immunity by guiding immune cell interactions. Disruption of this ECM in cancer and chronic inflammation has been shown to promote disease progression. While interactions between cells and the LN ECM are critical for immunity, they remain difficult to study due to limitations in current models and reliance on animal studies. To address this, LNs could be decellularized to generate cell-free scaffolds that are subsequently reseeded with cells to study how the native LN microenvironment influences cellular behavior. Existing whole-organ decellularization methods preserve ECM features but yield dense scaffolds that restrict uniform cell seeding, limit nutri

SUBMITTER: Esparza E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12764942 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature