Imaging of the leukemic bone marrow microenvironment, also called the leukemic bone marrow niche, is an essential method to determine and to evaluate the progression of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) and other leukemias in murine models. In this chapter we introduce the murine model of CML primarily used in our laboratory by describing blood and bone marrow analysis as well as the method of histological sectioning and immunohistochemistry in combination with various stainings that can help to understand the complex interaction between leukemic cells, their normal hematopoietic counterparts, and the bone marrow microenvironment. We conclude with describing how to image the bone marrow niche using in vivo microscopy.
Keywords: Bone marrow niche; Chronic myelogenous leukemia; Histological sectioning; Immunohistochemistry; In vivo microscopy; Leukemic stem cell niche; Murine models of hematological malignancies.