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Collagen tunnels through mouse lymph nodes ferry antibodies into the bloodstream.

Written byShawna Williams

| 1 min read

A fluorescence micrograph showing antibody-secreting mouse lymphocytes in white and conduits made of collagen in green

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ABOVE: A fluorescence micrograph showing antibody-secreting mouse lymphocytes in white and conduits made of collagen in green
© G. THIERRY

Tunnels made of collagen run through lymph nodes, drawing infection-fighting antibodies away from the cells that secrete them and into the bloodstream, a new study in mice reports. The results, which appeared November 14 in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, give insight into how lymph nodes release antibodies.

G.R. Thierry et al., “The conduit system exports locally secreted IgM from lymph nodes,” J Exp Med, doi:10.1084/jem.20180344, 2018.

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Meet the Author

Shawna Williams
Shawna was an editor at The Scientist from 2017 through 2022. She holds a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Colorado College and a graduate certificate in science communication from the University of California, Santa Cruz. Previously, she worked as a freelance editor and writer, and in the communications offices of several academic research institutions. As news director, Shawna assigned and edited news, opinion, and in-depth feature articles for the website on all aspects of the life sciences. She is based in central Washington State, and is a member of the Northwest Science Writers Association and the National Association of Science Writers.
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