Sous-population des cellules immunitaires de l'intestin grêle

Subpopulation of immune cells from the small intestine, observed using 10-colour spectral imaging. The image was generated after immunofluorescence labelling and by using a combination of several lasers, including one white laser providing a wide range of wavelengths, i.e. colours. A high-magnification, oil-immersed lens was used. In confocal microscopy, the sample is scanned at high speed by laser beams, point by point. This technique produces fine optical sections (at different levels in a thick sample) that reveal the location of numerous entities or cell types (T cells, B cells, dendritic cells, macrophages, actins, nuclei, etc.) in a section of tissue. These optical sections are then stacked to generate 3D images of samples. In this way, research scientists can compare the number and location of entities in various situations, in individuals affected by pathologies, for example, in order to decipher the mechanisms of the immune system. This technique, used commonly in laboratories, is improving all the time in terms of the resolution, sensitivity, colours and contrasts possible.