Airway nerves: detection and visualisation

The importance of understanding the roles of nerves in regulating lung function cannot be overestimated if we are to successfully address the therapeutic management of respiratory diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Critical to this understanding is a more complete appreciation of airway innervation patterns, densities and functions. Accordingly, there is increasing demand for cost-effective techniques that enable the detection and visualisation of airway nerves. Immunofluorescence approaches, including confocal microscopy, are increasingly popular methods in pursuit of this important information, although the selection of a technique should be guided primarily by the type and quality of the information required from the study. Importantly, quantification of tissue nerve density is now feasible, adding a new dimension to the assessment of the significance of innervation patterns.