Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 13, 2026

Ex vivo Live Imaging of Lung Metastasis and Their Microenvironment
Published on: February 3, 2016
In vivo Imaging of Tumor and Immune Cell Interactions in the Lung
Richard N Hanna1,2, Grzegorz Chodaczek3, Catherine C Hedrick2
1Department of Respiratory, Inflammation and Autoimmune Diseases, MedImmune, LLC, Gaithersburg, USA.
Abstract:
Immunotherapy has demonstrated great therapeutic potential by activating the immune system to fight cancer. However, little is known about the specific dynamics of interactions that occur between tumor and immune cells. In this protocol we describe a novel method to visualize the interaction of tumor and immune cells in the lung of live mice, which can be applied to other organs. In this protocol fluorescent-labeled tumor cells are transferred to recipient mice expressing fluorescently tagged immune cells. Tumor-immune cell interactions in the lung are then imaged by confocal or two photon microscopy. Analysis of tumor interactions with immune cells using this protocol should aid in a better understanding of the importance of these interactions and their role in developing immunotherapies.
Related Concept Videos
What is the Immune System?
Lung Capacity
Cell-mediated Immune Responses
Cells of the Adaptive Immune Response
Humoral Immune Responses
Cells of the Innate Immune Response
Phagocytes
Phagocytes police the peripheral tissues by removing cellular debris and responding to the invasion of foreign substances or pathogens. Many phagocytes attack and remove microorganisms even before lymphocytes detect them. The human body has two general...

