Spatiotemporal basis of adaptive immunity in the spleen

The spleen is the largest immune organ in our body and the only one to filter the blood. It plays a critical role in protection against blood-pathogens, preventing lethal systemic infections. To function optimally, the spleen evolved specialized anatomy and mechanisms that coordinate access of immune cells to sites that regulate their survival and activation. However, until recently it was impossible to study these processes due to the absence of methods to visualize cells inside live intact spleens. We pioneered an advanced microscopy technique that allows this analysis for the first time. Here, we will use this system combined with additional cutting-edge imaging approaches to investigate how adaptive immune cells navigate between the various functional compartments of the spleen and how they are activated within this organ. These studies will ultimately lead to the development of new vaccine strategies and therapeutic approaches against a variety of immunological diseases.