Escape and Remodel: T Cells Break Free 1

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Sudha Kumari, Eliza Vasile

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We are trying to study the mechanisms by which T cells traverse the blood vessel (endothelial) walls. One of the barriers to the T cell exit from the vessel is the mechanical skeleton composed of actin fibers--both within the T cell and in the endothelial cells. This cellular-skeleton must be remodeled precisely in order to escape the blood vessel.

We have utilized super-resolution microscopy, followed with an image processing method to highlight the fine distortions in a T cell's cytoskeleton, as it crosses the endothelium. Using this model of T cell exit on endothelial cells, we are able to study the mechanism that facilitates actin filament remodeling.