Related articles:

• Celli S, Albert ML, Bousso P. (2011). Visualizing the innate and adaptive immune responses underlying allograft rejection by two-photon microscopy: Nature Medicine, 17(6):744-750.

Dynamics of Immune Responses Lab

Transplant rejection involves a coordinated attack of donor cells by the innate and the adaptive immune system of the host. To gain insight into this dynamic process, we have developed an ear skin graft model suitable for intravital imaging. We are defining the critical steps regulating chronic and acute rejection with the aim of identifying new strategies to reduce the occurrence of graft rejection.

Intravital imaging of a skin graft.
Recipient infiltrating cells are shown in yellow, donor Langerhans cells in red, collagen fibers in the dermis in green. Click here to see the movie.

CD8+ T cells accumulate in the recipient tissue around the graft.
The donor/recipient edges were imaged by two-photon microscopy. Blood vessels are shown in red, collagen fibers in green, CD8+ T cells in yellow. Click here to see the movie.