Bioengineered human tonsil organoids as an immuno-engineering platform for evaluating immune functions
Although animal models remain the preclinical gold standard, they are constrained by interspecies differences in adaptive immunity, including antibody class-switching, affinity maturation, and multicellular interactions. To address this gap, we established a more physiologically relevant platform, a bioengineered tonsil organoid (BTO) system that combines autologous tonsil-derived stromal cells with immune cells to generate highly uniform organoids, preserving multicellular complexity and sustained stromal-immune interactions. BTO cultures mounted robust, antigen-specific recall responses to influenza, tetanus, and COVID-19 antigens. Notably, stimulation with ovalbumin and SARS-CoV-1 spike protein expanded antigen-recognizing B cells, indicating capacity for naive responses. Digital spatial transcriptomics and proteomics analysis confirmed immune-stromal crosstalk underpinning both humoral and cellular responses of BTO after challenge. These data highlight stromal cells as active scaffolds that not only maintain 3D architecture but also facilitate immune activation, memory recall, and recognition of naive antigens. Together, BTO offers a human-relevant model for mechanistic immunology and for pre-clinical evaluation on immunotherapies and vaccines not achievable with 2D cultures or animal models.