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Updated: Feb 5, 2026

Observing Islet Function and Islet-Immune Cell Interactions in Live Pancreatic Tissue Slices
Published on: April 12, 2021
Recording the wild lives of immune cells
Mikael J Pittet1,2, Christopher S Garris3,4, Sean P Arlauckas3,2
1Center for Systems Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, 185 Cambridge Street, CPZN 5206, Boston, MA 02114, USA. mpittet@mgh.harvard.edu.
Abstract:
Intravital microscopic imaging can uncover fundamental aspects of immune cell behavior in real time in both healthy and pathological states. Here, we discuss approaches for single-cell imaging of adaptive and innate immune cells to explore how they migrate, communicate, and mediate regulatory or effector functions in various tissues throughout the body. We further review how intravital single-cell imaging can be used to study drug effects on immune cells.
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