title: In vivo tracking of 'color-coded' effector, natural and induced regulatory T cells in the allograft response.
abstract: Here we present methods to longitudinally track islet allograft-infiltrating T cells in live mice by endoscopic confocal microscopy and to analyze circulating T cells by in vivo flow cytometry. We developed a new reporter mouse whose T cell subsets express distinct, 'color-coded' proteins enabling in vivo detection and identification of effector T cells (T(eff) cells) and discrimination between natural and induced regulatory T cells (nT(reg) and iT(reg) cells). Using these tools, we observed marked differences in the T cell response in recipients receiving tolerance-inducing therapy (CD154-specific monoclonal antibody plus rapamycin) compared to untreated controls. These results establish real-time cell tracking as a powerful means to probe the dynamic cellular interplay mediating immunologic rejection or transplant tolerance.
authors.affiliation: Transplant Institute, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Zhigang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: Joel A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Spencer
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Costas M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Pitsillides
authors.forename: Gurbakhshish
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Pilhan
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Seok H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Yun
authors.forename: Vasilis
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Toxavidis
authors.forename: Terry B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Strom
authors.forename: Charles P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koulmanda
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D003116:Color; D005434:Flow Cytometry / Q000379:methods; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal / Q000379:methods; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000502:physiology; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal