The mouse lymph node as an ectopic transplantation site for multiple tissues

Cell-based therapy has been viewed as a promising alternative to organ transplantation, but cell transplantation aimed at organ repair is not always possible. Here, we show that the mouse lymph node can support the engraftment and growth of healthy cells from multiple tissues. Direct injection of hepatocytes into a single mouse lymph node generated enough ectopic liver mass to rescue survival of mice with lethal metabolic disease. Furthermore, thymuses transplanted into a lymph node of athymic nude mice generate a functional immune system capable of rejecting allogeneic and xenogeneic grafts. Finally, pancreatic islets injected into the lymph node of diabetic mice restore normal glucose control. Collectively, these results suggest the practical approach of targeting lymph nodes to restore, maintain or improve tissue and organ functions.