EXC 1003 FF-2014-07 – Intravital microscopy of neutrophil extravasation into the peritoneum

Basic data for this project

Description

During inflammation, leukocytes exit the circulatory system into inflamed tissues mostly at postcapillary venules. Their ability to cross the endothelium and the basement membrane of the blood vessels during extravasation depends on the local biochemical and structural composition of the vessels. We will examine the role of specialized 'high-endothelial venules' (HEVs) and their biochemical structure for the extravasation of neutrophils into the inflamed peritoneum, combining intravital microscopy videos from mice with structural analysis of excised tissue via confocal and electron microscopy. Mathematical image processing tools will allow to merge the information about cell extravasation from the videos with the structural information from confocal and electron microscopy, which will provide insights into how peritoneal HEVs function as exit routes for neutrophils.