MIMIC, or modular immune in vitro construct, is an artificial system imitating the human immune system. It has applications in vaccine development. White blood cells, specifically peripheral blood mononuclear cells including

T cells T cells (also known as T lymphocytes) are an important part of the immune system and play a central role in the adaptive immune response. T cells can be distinguished from other lymphocytes by the presence of a T-cell receptor (TCR) on their ce ...

and

B cells B cells, also known as B lymphocytes, are a type of the lymphocyte subtype. They function in the humoral immunity component of the adaptive immune system. B cells produce antibody molecules which may be either secreted or inserted into the plasm ...

, from human donors are placed in standard tubes containing specially designed tissue constructs made out of

collagen Collagen () is the main structural protein in the extracellular matrix of the connective tissues of many animals. It is the most abundant protein in mammals, making up 25% to 35% of protein content. Amino acids are bound together to form a trip ...

, where they develop into small but functioning immune systems. Up to ninety-six individual tubes can be carried on a plate the size of a deck of cards, allowing scientists to use cells from almost a hundred different donors at once. The MIMIC system replaces some steps in the vaccine development process that would otherwise be performed on animals and offers scientists better speed and flexibility than traditional methods. However, critics are concerned that MIMIC may be too simple for use as widespread as its developers hope. The MIMIC system was developed by VaxDesign and became available for use in 2008.

References

{{Reflist Artificial immune systems Alternatives to animal testing