Imaging—and Imagining—Immune Responses to Infections

Abstract

After Antonie van Leeuwenhoek viewed “animalcules” from the human oral mucosa during the 17th century, microscopy became an increasingly important tool for diagnosing infectious diseases and following host responses. Microscopy continues to advance technically, even during the past few years. For example, whereas traditional microscopy was used mainly to examine fixed or frozen tissues, recent innovations now allow us to visualize complex processes surrounding microbial pathogenesis and localized host responses.