title: Tracking T and B cells from two-photon microscopy imaging using constrained SMC clusters.
abstract: This paper describes a novel software algorithm, called constrained Sequential Monte Carlo (SMC) clusters, for tracking a large collection of individual cells from intra-vital two-photon microscopy image sequences. We show how our method and software tool, implemented in python, is useful for quantifying the motility of T and B lymphocytes involved in an immune response vs lymphocytes under non immune conditions. We describe the theory behind our algorithm and briefly discuss the architecture of our software. Finally, we demonstrate both the functionality and utility of software by applying it to two practical examples from videos displaying lymphocyte motility in B cell zones (follicles) and T cell zones of lymph nodes.
authors.affiliation: University of Vigo, ESEI, 32004 Ourense, Spain. dnolivieri@gmail.com
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Olivieri
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Faro
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gomez-Conde
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Tadokoro
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D036641:Microscopy, Fluorescence, Multiphoton / Q000379:methods*; D012984:Software; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology