Centres for Doctoral Training

Viscoelastic regulation of stromal mechanotransduction in ageing lymph nodes: impact on immune function

Supervisors: 

Hannah Donnelly, MVLS, School of Molecular Biosciences

Marco Cantini, CoSE, James Watt School of Engineering

 

PHD Project Summary:

As we age, the functionality of our immune system decreases, leading to increased vulnerability to infection, cancer, and poor vaccine responses. A major contributor to this decline is age-related changes in immune organs, such as lymph nodes. Lymph nodes rely on specialised stromal cells and a dynamic extracellular matrix (ECM) to support immune responses; yet ageing causes these tissues to become structurally and mechanically altered through processes such as fibrosis. Typically, the aging ECM transitions from a soft, viscoelastic matrix to stiffer with reduced viscosity. Critically, how these biophysical changes impact immune function remains poorly understood.

This interdisciplinary PhD will explore how age-associated changes in the biomechanics of lymph nodes influence immune regulation. We will develop advanced biomaterial systems mimicking the mechanical properties of healthy/aged lymph node environments, using 2D and 3D tissue-engineering approaches. We will then use these platforms to explore how mechanosensing is altered during ageing and its impact on immune functions.

The student will be based in the Centre for the Cellular Microenvironment and will gain training in biomaterials design (hydrogels), advanced microscopy, mechanobiology, and immune functional assays. By combining materials engineering, cell biology, and immunology, the project will provide novel insights into how mechano-immunological mechanisms change during ageing