Intravital imaging of eosinophils: Unwrapping the enigma

Abstract

Eosinophils are traditionally associated with allergic and parasitic inflammation. More recently, eosinophils have also been shown to have roles in diverse processes including development, intestinal health, thymic selection, and B‐cell survival with the majority of these insights being derived from murine models and in vitro assays. Despite this, tools to measure the dynamic activity of eosinophils in situ have been lacking. Intravital microscopy is a powerful tool that enables direct visualization of leukocytes and their dynamic behavior in real‐time in a wide range of processes in both health and disease. Until recently eosinophil researchers have not been able to take full advantage of this technology due to a lack of tools such as genetically encoded reporter mice. This mini‐review examines the history of intravital microscopy with a focus on eosinophils. The development and use of eosinophil‐specific Cre (EoCre) mice to create GFP and tdTomato fluorescent reporter animals is also described. Genetically encoded eosinophil reporter mice combined with intravital microscopy provide a powerful tool to add to the toolbox of technologies that will help us unravel the mysteries still surrounding this cell.

Mechanobiology of Type 1 Hypersensitivity: Elucidating the Impacts of Mechanical Forces in Allergic Reactions

“…Additionally, advancements in in vivoimaging techniques, such as intravital microscopy, facilitate the real-time visualization of cellular dynamics within living organisms. These approaches provide a window into the mechanobiological events occurring during Type 1 hypersensitivity reactions in intact tissues.In vivo imaging allows the tracking of immune cell migration, interactions, and responses to mechanical forces in real-time, offering dynamic insights into the spatiotemporal aspects of allergic reactions [117][118][119].…”

In Vivo Motility Patterns Displayed by Immune Cells Under Inflammatory Conditions

“…Eosinophils were also observed performing swarms throughout the parenchyma in the lungs in different infection models. Amongst these, during parasitic infections, swarms of eosinophils were maintained for several days ( 120 ).…”