New dimensions in intravital multi-photon imaging of immune reactions

Abstract

In the last two decades intravital multi-photon imaging has become a central tool to investigate cellular and molecular dynamics of immune reactions in vivo. Currently, challenges in exploiting the full power of this technology include limitations on the number of simultaneously detectable parameters as well as in expanding the acquisition in time and space. Here we discuss technological advancements developed in order to overcome these challenges and focus on the example of germinal center reactions as multi-parametric immunological processes evolving over a time course of days and weeks.