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Updated: Jan 20, 2026

Visualizing Lymph Node Structure and Cellular Localization using Ex-Vivo Confocal Microscopy
Published on: August 9, 2019
Visualizing Lymph Node Structure and Cellular Localization using Ex-Vivo Confocal Microscopy
Rafael M Rezende1, Mateus E Lopes2, Gustavo B Menezes2
1Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School; rmachadorezende@bwh.harvard.edu.
Abstract:
Lymph nodes (LNs) are organs spread within the body, where the innate immune responses can connect with the adaptive immunity. In fact, LNs are strategically interposed in the path of the lymphatic vessels, allowing intimate contact of tissue antigens with all resident immune cells in the LN. Thus, understanding the cellular composition, distribution, location and interaction using ex vivo whole LN imaging will add to the knowledge on how the body coordinates local and systemic immune responses. This protocol shows an ex vivo imaging strategy following an in vivo administration of fluorescent-labeled antibodies that allows a very reproducible and easy-to-perform methodology by using conventional confocal microscopes and stock reagents. Through subcutaneous injection of antibodies, it is possible to label different cell populations in draining LNs without affecting tissue structures that can be potentially damaged by a conventional immunofluorescence microscopy technique.
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