[Application of photonics technology for research of transplantation and regenerative medicine]

To enhance our understanding of biological processes as they occur in living animals, imaging strategies have been developed and refined that reveal cellular and molecular events of biology in real time. In particular, fluorescence imaging, which utilizes fluorescent proteins (e.g. GFP and DsRed) as internal biological light sources, offers important opportunities for investigating a wide variety of physiological or disease process. Luminescence imaging also offers important opportunities for the investigation of a variety of biological processes in living cells. Bioluminescent reporters have significantly greater signal-to-noise rations in mammalian tissues, and emitted light signals can be quantified in the context of intact animals using non -invasive assays. In this review, we have a focus on in vivo bioimaging system for translational research using photo-maker transgenic rats. Using this system, immunological events of rejection and graft versus host reaction were visualized. Then, our recent activities were introduced in the research fields of transplantation and regenerative medicine.