Microsurgery Core

Washington University, Saint Louis MO

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY / ABSTRACT Mouse models of organ transplantation play an important role in advancing our understanding of immunological pathways that regulate graft rejection and tolerance. Such models have also proven invaluable in identifying therapeutic targets for transplant patients. It is known that marked differences exist between immune responses to various grafts. Therefore, organ-specific models are required to study graft-specific immune responses. Our laboratories have developed clinically relevant mouse models of lung transplantation and re-transplantation as well as novel approaches to image immune cell interactions in transplanted mouse lungs and hearts (heart transplants represent a readout for tolerance) in real time. These technical advances have expanded the experimental armamentarium to study immune responses after lung transplantation. A dedicated Microsurgery Core was established at the initiation of this Program Project in 2015 and has been directed by a pioneering microsurgeon. The Microsurgery Core has vast experience performing these procedures and has been at the forefront of innovating in this space through the development of new models. The Microsurgery Core has proven instrumental in facilitating the execution of experiments in this Program Project. In Aim 1 we will continue to standardize the quality of microsurgical and imaging procedures for all three projects in the proposal. In Aim 2 we will continue to standardize the analysis of transplanted grafts for all three projects. In Aim 3 we will maintain a system that provides access to microsurgical transplants and coordinates intravital imaging procedures for Projects 1 and 3.