0000000000942537
AUTHOR
Josephine Herz
The role of CD8+ T cells and their local interaction with CD4+ T cells in myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein35-55-induced experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.
Abstract T cells have an essential role in the induction of multiple sclerosis and its animal model experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Although for CD4+ T cells it is well established that they contribute to the disease, less is known about the role of CD8+ T cells. Our aim was to determine the individual contribution of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG)35–55–induced EAE. We investigated MOG35–55–activated CD8+ T cells to clarify their potential to induce or attenuate EAE. We monitored the behavior of CD8+ T cells and their interaction with CD4+ T cells directly at the site of inflammation in the CNS using intravital imaging of the brainstem of…
Expanding Two-Photon Intravital Microscopy to the Infrared by Means of Optical Parametric Oscillator
Chronic inflammation in various organs, such as the brain, implies that different subpopulations of immune cells interact with the cells of the target organ. To monitor this cellular communication both morphologically and functionally, the ability to visualize more than two colors in deep tissue is indispensable. Here, we demonstrate the pronounced power of optical parametric oscillator (OPO)-based two-photon laser scanning microscopy for dynamic intravital imaging in hardly accessible organs of the central nervous and of the immune system, with particular relevance for long-term investigations of pathological mechanisms (e.g., chronic neuroinflammation) necessitating the use of fluorescent…
Parallelized TCSPC for dynamic intravital fluorescence lifetime imaging : quantifying neuronal dysfunction in neuroinflammation
Two-photon laser-scanning microscopy has revolutionized our view on vital processes by revealing motility and interaction patterns of various cell subsets in hardly accessible organs (e.g. brain) in living animals. However, current technology is still insufficient to elucidate the mechanisms of organ dysfunction as a prerequisite for developing new therapeutic strategies, since it renders only sparse information about the molecular basis of cellular response within tissues in health and disease. In the context of imaging, Forster resonant energy transfer (FRET) is one of the most adequate tools to probe molecular mechanisms of cell function. As a calibration-free technique, fluorescence lif…
Dendritic cells tip the balance towards induction of regulatory T cells upon priming in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis
Counter-balancing regulatory mechanisms, such as the induction of regulatory T cells (Treg), limit the effects of autoimmune attack in neuroinflammation. However, the role of dendritic cells (DCs) as the most powerful antigen-presenting cells, which are intriguing therapeutic targets in this context, is not fully understood. Here, we demonstrate that conditional ablation of DCs during the priming phase of myelin-specific T cells in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) selectively aborts inducible Treg (iTreg) induction, whereas generation of T helper (Th)1/17 cells is unaltered. DCs facilitate iTreg induction by creating a milieu with high levels of interleukin (IL)-2 due to a st…
In Vivo Imaging of Partially Reversible Th17 Cell-Induced Neuronal Dysfunction in the Course of Encephalomyelitis
SummaryNeuronal damage in autoimmune neuroinflammation is the correlate for long-term disability in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. Here, we investigated the role of immune cells in neuronal damage processes in animal models of MS by monitoring experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) by using two-photon microscopy of living anaesthetized mice. In the brainstem, we detected sustained interaction between immune and neuronal cells, particularly during disease peak. Direct interaction of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG)-specific Th17 and neuronal cells in demyelinating lesions was associated with extensive axonal damage. By combining confocal, electron, and intravital microsc…