Bioluminescence imaging to monitor T cell localization

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The Bioluminescence Imaging (BLI) methods that we propose to develop here offer substantial benefits for Contact Sensitivity (CS) and Delayed Type Hypersensitivity (DTH) studies and open this area of immune response and inflammation research to a much broader group of scientists. In addition, the studies we propose potentially introduce significant improvements for investigations focused on small animal models of arthritis. In essence, the BLI methods we propose to develop introduce more objective and less invasive methods for evaluating local inflammation. In addition, results from these studies can be expected to introduce greater ease and objectivity into these measurements. Thus, it can be expected to facilitate basic studies and to enable commercial exploitation of small animal inflammation models for drug discovery and preclinical efficacy purposes. The biological studies that we propose to conduct will shed new light on inflammatory processes and can be expected to further understanding of how T cells participate in these processes. In addition, the transgenic mice that we propose to develop for these studies and to make broadly available will open new avenues of inflammation research in our laboratory and elsewhere. The work-scope in this project involves development of transgenic mice expressive luciferase under the control of the CDS promoter. This construct is expressed uniquely in the T-cells of the transgenic mice when the T-cells migrate to sites of inflammation such as the ears in DTH and CS or to joints in the case of arthritis by illuminecense imaging visualizes the T-cells to the joint because luciferase in these T-cells generates visible light that can be detected by the imaging equipment. Development of these transgenic mice enables the biological studies defined in this project and biological studies other laboratories.