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Updated: Mar 7, 2026
A Technique to Simultaneously Visualize Virus-Specific CD8+ T Cells and Virus-Infected Cells In situ
Published on: August 13, 2009
Imaging CD8+ T cells during diverse viral infections
1Laboratory of Viral Diseases; National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; National Institutes of Health ; Bethesda, MD USA.
Insights
Intravital multiphoton microscopy reveals individual CD8+ T cell behaviors during viral infections. This advanced imaging technique visualizes T cell priming and effector functions in vivo, aiding antiviral vaccine and therapy development.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Virology
- Microscopy
Background:
- CD8+ T cells are crucial for fighting pathogens and tumors.
- Previous studies relied on bulk ex vivo analysis, limiting understanding of individual T cell dynamics.
- In vivo behaviors of CD8+ T cells during viral infections remain largely unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the in vivo behaviors and diversity of individual CD8+ T cells during viral infections.
- To leverage intravital multiphoton microscopy (MPM) for visualizing T cell responses.
- To inform the design of antiviral vaccines and therapeutics.
Main Methods:
- Intravital multiphoton microscopy (MPM) was employed.
- CD8+ T cell priming and effector functions were imaged in vivo after viral infection.
- Responses to various viral pathogens, including RNA and DNA viruses, were studied.
Main Results:
- MPM enabled visualization of CD8+ T cell priming in response to diverse viral infections.
- Effector CD8+ T cells were observed in infected tissues during primary infection.
- The transition of effector cells to tissue-resident memory cells (T_RM) was visualized.
Conclusions:
- Intravital MPM provides unprecedented insights into antiviral CD8+ T cell responses.
- Understanding individual T cell dynamics in vivo is critical for developing effective antiviral strategies.
- This technique advances our knowledge of T cell heterogeneity and function during infection.
Abstract:
CD8+ T cells play a critical role in host defense against pathogens and tumors. Much of our current knowledge of the activation and subsequent effector activities of CD8+ T cells has been gained using ex vivo approaches examining the T cell population en masse for surface phenotype, activation status and the production of effector molecules. Thus, the precise behaviors and diversity of individual CD8+ T cells responding to virus infection in vivo have not been extensively explored, leaving many unanswered questions relevant to the rational design of antiviral vaccines and therapeutics. Recently, intravital multiphoton microscopy (MPM) has been used to image CD8+ T cell priming after infection with disparate viral pathogens ranging from small RNA viruses encoding few proteins to DNA viruses producing hundreds of viral proteins (many immunomodulatory). After priming, effector CD8+ T cells have been visualized in virus-infected tissue, both during primary infection and after transitioning to tissue resident memory cells (TRM). Here, I highlight recent advances in our understanding of antiviral CD8+ T cell responses revealed through intravital MPM.
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