When the immune system encounters a new antigen, it needs to make a decision about whether to attack, or to ignore. Making the correct decision is important for fighting infections, killing cancer cells, and avoiding autoimmune diseases. The decision is made using time-dependent chemical signals and computations that occur at different places (tumor, lymph node, blood).

So if we think of the immune system as a computer that uses chemical signals, rather than electrical signals, how do we communicate with the immune system, to help it make the right decisions? My lab has designed a catheter that allows us to deliver time-dependent chemical signals into tumors and lymph nodes. The catheter contains a 3D printed retention mechanism to prevent migration, and it is implanted using image-guided, minimally invasive techniques. Different drugs can then be delivered into specific locations at specific times, using programmable pumps, to convince the immune system to attack cancer antigens.

OpenSCAD file for the barbed catheter:

https://static-content.springer.com/esm/art%3A10.1038%2Fs415...