Research Techniques Made Simple: Two-Photon Intravital Imaging of the Skin

Peyman Obeidy; Philip L Tong; Wolfgang Weninger

doi:10.1016/j.jid.2018.01.017

Research Techniques Made Simple: Two-Photon Intravital Imaging of the Skin

J Invest Dermatol. 2018 Apr;138(4):720-725. doi: 10.1016/j.jid.2018.01.017.

Authors

Peyman Obeidy¹, Philip L Tong², Wolfgang Weninger³

Affiliations

¹ The Centenary Institute, Newtown, New South Wales, Australia.
² The Centenary Institute, Newtown, New South Wales, Australia; Discipline of Dermatology, University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia; Department of Dermatology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia.
³ The Centenary Institute, Newtown, New South Wales, Australia; Discipline of Dermatology, University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia; Department of Dermatology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia. Electronic address: w.weninger@centenary.org.au.

PMID: 29579452
DOI: 10.1016/j.jid.2018.01.017

Abstract

Over the last few years, intravital two-photon microscopy has matured into a powerful technology helping basic and clinical researchers obtain quantifiable details of complex biological mechanisms in live and intact tissues. Two-photon microscopy provides high spatial and temporal resolution in vivo with little phototoxicity that is unattainable by other optical tools like confocal microscopy. Using ultrashort laser pulses, two-photon microscopy allows the visualization of molecules, cells, and extracellular structures up to depths of 1 mm within tissues. Consequently, real-time imaging of the individual skin layers under both physiological and pathological conditions has revolutionized our understanding of cutaneous homeostasis, immunity, and tumor biology. This review provides an overview to two-photon microscopy of the skin by covering the basic concepts and current applications in diverse preclinical and clinical settings.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

Dermatology / methods*
Humans
Intravital Microscopy / methods*
Research Design*
Skin Diseases / diagnosis*
Skin Diseases / therapy*