Visualizing cellular interactions with a generalized proximity reporter.

ABSTRACT: Interactions among neighboring cells underpin many physiological processes ranging from early development to immune responses. When these interactions do not function properly, numerous pathologies, including infection and cancer, can result. Molecular imaging technologies, especially optical imaging, are uniquely suited to illuminate complex cellular interactions within the context of living tissues in the body. However, no tools yet exist that allow the detection of microscopic events, such as two cells coming into close proximity, on a global, whole-animal scale. We report here a broadly applicable, longitudinal strategy for probing interactions among cells in living subjects. This approach relies on the generation of bioluminescent light when two distinct cell populations come into clo

SUBMITTER: Sellmyer MA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3666728 | biostudies-literature | 2013 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature