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Immunofluorescence Microscopy

Immunofluorescence Microscopy

A fluorescence microscope uses fluorescent chromophores called fluorochromes, which can absorb energy from a light source and then emit this energy as visible light. Fluorochromes include naturally fluorescent substances (such as chlorophylls) and fluorescent stains that are added to the specimen to create contrast. Dyes such as Texas red and FITC are examples of fluorochromes. Other examples include the nucleic acid dyes 4’,6’-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI), and acridine orange.

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Updated: Sep 28, 2025

Spatial and Temporal Control of T Cell Activation Using a Photoactivatable Agonist

Spatial and Temporal Control of T Cell Activation Using a Photoactivatable Agonist

Published on: April 25, 2018

Activatable Fluorophores for Imaging Immune Cell Function.

Lorena Mendive-Tapia¹, Marc Vendrell¹

¹Centre for Inflammation Research, The University of Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ Edinburgh, U.K.

Accounts of Chemical Research

|April 5, 2022

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

New activatable fluorescent probes enable real-time imaging of immune cell function in diseases like cancer. These chemical tools enhance diagnostics and drug discovery for precision medicine.

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Area of Science:

Biomedical imaging
Chemical biology
Immunology

Background:

Optical imaging is crucial for studying biomolecular processes in live systems.
Activatable fluorophores offer enhanced readouts and minimal background for immune cell imaging.
Recent advances in fluorescent technologies have revolutionized real-time immune cell studies.

Purpose of the Study:

To summarize recent advances in activatable fluorescent probes for monitoring immune cell activity.
To review chemical synthesis and implementation of probes for pathological processes.
To highlight applications in diagnostics and drug discovery.

Main Methods:

Review of literature on activatable fluorescent probes over the past decade.
Focus on probes targeting neutrophils, macrophages, and lymphocytes.
Examples of probe architectures: fluorogenic peptides, FRET mechanisms, metabolic targeting, diversity-oriented libraries, and molecular rotors.

Main Results:

Developed probes for imaging metastasis-associated macrophages, apoptotic neutrophils, and natural killer cells.
Probes successfully validated in vitro and in vivo models of inflammation and cancer.
Demonstrated diverse chemical structures and activation mechanisms for sensing immune cell function.

Conclusions:

Activatable fluorescent probes are powerful tools for studying immune cell function in health and disease.
Emerging strategies and targets will uncover new roles for immune cells.
Future probes will aid clinical applications in immunotherapy and precision medicine.