Imaging Immunity in Lymph Nodes: Past, Present and Future

摘要: Immune responses occur as a result of stochastic interactions between plethora different cell types and molecules that regulate the migration function innate adaptive immune cells to drive protection from pathogen infection. The trafficking into peripheral tissues during inflammation then subsequent draining lymphoid has been quantitated using radiolabelled over 40 years ago. However, how these processes lead efficient was unclear. Advances in physics (multi-photon), chemistry (probes) biology (animal models) have provided immunologists with specialized tools quantify molecular cellular mechanisms driving through directly visualising behaviours 3-dimensions time. Through temporal spatial resolution multi-photon confocal microscopy developed new insights normal homeostasis, host pathogens, anti-tumour development autoimmune pathologies, by quantification involved responses. deep tissue imaging, including fluorescent proteins, increased resolution, speed image acquisition, sensitivity, number signals improved data analysis techniques unprecedented capacity at single level. This quantitative information facilitated high-fidelity mathematical computational models function. Together this approach is providing mechanistic understanding modulators work. biophysics therefore revolutionised our function, impacting on next generation immunotherapies vaccines, basis for emerging technology simulation-guided experimentation immunotherapeutic design.