Identification of Murine and Human Innate Lymphoid Cells in Frozen Tissue Sections Using Immunofluorescence

Abstract

ILCs interact with multiple cell types within their local environment to integrate a wealth of different signals into coordinated responses that regulate tissue homeostasis as well as immune responses upon challenge. While the development and function of ILCs has been extensively studied, principally using flow cytometry, there is limited understanding of the precise composition of cellular niches within which ILCs reside. While this might be optimally studied using dynamic live imaging approaches, immunofluorescence staining of tissue sections can provide fundamental basic information regarding the nature of these microenvironments. Here, a methodology enabling the identification of murine and human ILC populations in frozen tissue sections using immunofluorescence is described.