Knocking at the brain's door: intravital two-photon imaging of autoreactive T cell interactions with CNS structures

Semin Immunopathol. 2010 Sep;32(3):275-87. doi: 10.1007/s00281-010-0216-x. Epub 2010 Jul 11.

Abstract

Since the first applications of two-photon microscopy in immunology 10 years ago, the number of studies using this advanced technology has increased dramatically. The two-photon microscope allows long-term visualization of cell motility in the living tissue with minimal phototoxicity. Using this technique, we examined brain autoantigen-specific T cell behavior in experimental autoimmune encephalitomyelitis, the animal model of human multiple sclerosis. Even before disease symptoms appear, the autoreactive T cells arrive at their target organ. There they crawl along the intraluminal surface of central nervous system (CNS) blood vessels before they extravasate. In the perivascular environment, the T cells meet phagocytes that present autoantigens. This contact activates the T cells to penetrate deep into the CNS parenchyma, where the infiltrated T cells again can find antigen, be further activated, and produce cytokines, resulting in massive immune cell recruitment and clinical disease.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Autoimmunity*
  • Blood-Brain Barrier / immunology
  • Blood-Brain Barrier / pathology
  • Brain / cytology*
  • Brain / immunology*
  • Cell Movement / immunology
  • Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / immunology
  • Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / pathology
  • Fluorescent Dyes
  • Humans
  • Microscopy, Fluorescence, Multiphoton / instrumentation
  • Microscopy, Fluorescence, Multiphoton / methods*
  • Multiple Sclerosis / immunology
  • Multiple Sclerosis / pathology
  • T-Lymphocytes / immunology*

Substances

  • Fluorescent Dyes