Home › Microscopy & Imaging › Intravital Microscopy of Tumor-associated Vasculature Using Advanced Dorsal Skinfold Window Chambers on Transgenic Fluorescent Mice
Microscopy & Imaging JoVE (Open Access) Citable · DOI

Intravital Microscopy of Tumor-associated Vasculature Using Advanced Dorsal Skinfold Window Chambers on Transgenic Fluorescent Mice

DOI: 10.3791/55115-v
What you'll learn
  • ✓ Implant and secure dorsal skinfold window chambers on transgenic mice
  • ✓ Perform intravital microscopy imaging of tumor-associated vasculature in living animals
  • ✓ Acquire longitudinal fluorescent imaging data using cell-specific transgenic markers
  • ✓ Monitor tumor vascularization dynamics over time in vivo
Protocol

This protocol describes the intravital imaging of transgenic mice expressing cell-specific fluorescent markers. Intravital imaging provides a non-invasive method for high-resolution observations in living animals using implantable windows through which the microscopic visualization of processes is possible. This method is especially useful to study longitudinal processes.

Difficulty
advanced
Total time
~2–3 hours per mouse (surgery + initial imaging); repeated sessions over days/weeks for longitudinal study
Model organism
Mouse (transgenic, fluorescent cell-specific markers)
Biosafety
BSL-1

Steps

1
Implant dorsal tissue under window chamber

Surgically position and secure an implantable dorsal skinfold window chamber on transgenic mice to expose tumor-associated vasculature for microscopic observation. The chamber creates a transparent optical window for intravital imaging.

▶ 00:47
2
Acquire intravital fluorescence microscopy images

Position the anesthetized mouse under the microscope and capture high-resolution fluorescent images through the window chamber, using cell-specific transgenic markers to visualize vascular structures and tumor microenvironment.

▶ 03:55
3
Analyze tumor vascularization monitoring results

Review and interpret intravital imaging data to characterize tumor-associated vessel morphology, density, and dynamics across longitudinal time points.

▶ 06:37
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