ABSTRACT :
The migration of neutrophils between tissue compartments is an important aspect of innate immune surveillance. This process is regulated by a cascade of cellular and molecular signals to avoid unnecessary crowding of neutrophils at the periphery, to allow rapid mobilization of neutrophils in response to inflammatory stimuli, and to return to a state of homeostasis after the response. Intravital microscopy approaches have been fundamental in unraveling many aspects of neutrophil behavior, providing important mechanistic information on the processes involved in basal and disease states. This talk will provide a broad overview of the current understanding of neutrophil biology, and focus on novel aspects of neutrophil migration/trafficking, which had previously been elusive until their recent elucidation by intravital multiphoton microscopy techniques.