The future of immunoimaging--deeper, bigger, more precise, and definitively more colorful

Imaging viral infection in vivo to gain unique perspectives on cellular antiviral immunity

The past decade has seen near continual global public health crises caused by emerging viral infections. Extraordinary increases in our knowledge of the mechanisms underlying successful antiviral immune responses in animal models and during human infection have accompanied these viral outbreaks. Keeping pace with the rapidly advancing field of viral immunology, innovations in microscopy have afforded a previously unseen view of viral infection occurring in real-time in living animals. Here, we review the contribution of intravital imaging to our understanding of cell-mediated immune responses to viral infections, with a particular focus on studies that visualize the antiviral effector cells responding to infection as well as virus-infected cells. We discuss methods to visualize viral infection in vivo using intravital microscopy (IVM) and significant findings arising through the application of IVM to viral infection. Collectively, these works underscore the importance of developing a comprehensive spatial understanding of the relationships between immune effectors and virus-infected cells and how this has enabled unique discoveries about virus/host interactions and antiviral effector cell biology.

Interferon gamma constrains type 2 lymphocyte niche boundaries during mixed inflammation

Allergic immunity is orchestrated by group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) and type 2 helper T (Th2) cells prominently arrayed at epithelial- and microbial-rich barriers. However, ILC2s and Th2 cells are also present in fibroblast-rich niches within the adventitial layer of larger vessels and similar boundary structures in sterile deep tissues, and it remains unclear whether they undergo dynamic repositioning during immune perturbations. Here, we used thick-section quantitative imaging to show that allergic inflammation drives invasion of lung and liver non-adventitial parenchyma by ILC2s and Th2 cells. However, during concurrent type 1 and type 2 mixed inflammation, IFNγ from broadly distributed type 1 lymphocytes directly blocked both ILC2 parenchymal trafficking and subsequent cell survival. ILC2 and Th2 cell confinement to adventitia limited mortality by the type 1 pathogen Listeria monocytogenes. Our results suggest that the topography of tissue lymphocyte subsets is tightly regulated to promote appropriately timed and balanced immunity.

Heterogeneity of immune cells in human atherosclerosis revealed by scRNA-Seq

Immune cells in atherosclerosis include T, B, natural killer (NK) and NKT cells, macrophages, monocytes, dendritic cells (DCs), neutrophils and mast cells. Advances in single cell RNA sequencing (sRNA-Seq) have refined our understanding of immune cell subsets. Four recent studies have used scRNA-Seq of immune cells in human atherosclerotic lesions and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), some including cell surface phenotypes revealed by oligonucleotide-tagged antibodies, which confirmed known and identified new immune cell subsets and identified genes significantly upregulated in PBMCs from HIV+ subjects with atherosclerosis compared to PBMCs from matched HIV+ subjects without atherosclerosis. The ability of scRNA-Seq to identify cell types is greatly augmented by adding cell surface phenotype using antibody sequencing. In this review we summarize the latest data obtained by scRNA-Seq on plaques and human PBMCs in human subjects with atherosclerosis.

Improvement of the Similarity Spectral Unmixing Approach for Multiplexed Two-Photon Imaging by Linear Dimension Reduction of the Mixing Matrix

Two-photon microscopy enables monitoring cellular dynamics and communication in complex systems, within a genuine environment, such as living tissues and, even, living organisms. Particularly, its application to understand cellular interactions in the immune system has brought unique insights into pathophysiologic processes in vivo. Simultaneous multiplexed imaging is required to understand the dynamic orchestration of the multiple cellular and non-cellular tissue compartments defining immune responses. Here, we present an improvement of our previously developed method, which allowed us to achieve multiplexed dynamic intravital two-photon imaging, by using a synergistic strategy. This strategy combines a spectrally broad range of fluorophore emissions, a wave-mixing concept for simultaneous excitation of all targeted fluorophores, and an unmixing algorithm based on the calculation of spectral similarities with previously measured fluorophore fingerprints. The improvement of the similarity spectral unmixing algorithm here described is based on dimensionality reduction of the mixing matrix. We demonstrate its superior performance in the correct pixel-based assignment of probes to tissue compartments labeled by single fluorophores with similar spectral fingerprints, as compared to the full-dimensional similarity spectral unmixing approach.

Nanotechnology synergized immunoengineering for cancer

Novel strategies modulating the immune system yielded enhanced anticancer responses and improved cancer survival. Nevertheless, the success rate of immunotherapy in cancer treatment has been below expectation(s) due to unpredictable efficacy and off-target effects from systemic dosing of immunotherapeutic(s). As a result, there is an unmet clinical need for improving conventional immunotherapy. Nanotechnology offers several new strategies, multimodality, and multiplex biological targeting advantage to overcome many of these challenges. These efforts enable programming the pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, and delivery of immunomodulatory agents/co-delivery of compounds to prime at the tumor sites for improved therapeutic benefits. This review provides an overview of the design and clinical principles of biomaterials driven nanotechnology and their potential use in personalized nanomedicines, vaccines, localized tumor modulation, and delivery strategies for cancer immunotherapy. In this review, we also summarize the latest highlights and recent advances in combinatorial therapies availed in the treatment of cold and complicated tumors. It also presents key steps and parameters implemented for clinical success. Finally, we analyse, discuss, and provide clinical perspectives on the integrated opportunities of nanotechnology and immunology to achieve synergistic and durable responses in cancer treatment.

Method for Multiplexed Dynamic Intravital Multiphoton Imaging

Intravital two-photon microscopy enables monitoring of cellular dynamics and communication of complex systems, in genuine environment-the living organism. Particularly, its application in understanding the immune system brought unique insights into pathophysiologic processes in vivo. Here we present a method to achieve multiplexed dynamic intravital two-photon imaging by using a synergistic strategy combining a spectrally broad range of fluorophore emissions, a wave-mixing concept for simultaneous excitation of all targeted fluorophores, and an effective unmixing algorithm based on the calculation of spectral similarities with previously acquired fluorophore fingerprints. Our unmixing algorithm allows us to distinguish 7 fluorophore signals corresponding to various cellular and tissue compartments by using only four detector channels.

CD4 T Helper Cell Subsets and Related Human Immunological Disorders

The immune system plays a critical role in protecting hosts from the invasion of organisms. CD4 T cells, as a key component of the immune system, are central in orchestrating adaptive immune responses. After decades of investigation, five major CD4 T helper cell (Th) subsets have been identified: Th1, Th2, Th17, Treg (T regulatory), and Tfh (follicular T helper) cells. Th1 cells, defined by the expression of lineage cytokine interferon (IFN)-γ and the master transcription factor T-bet, participate in type 1 immune responses to intracellular pathogens such as mycobacterial species and viruses; Th2 cells, defined by the expression of lineage cytokines interleukin (IL)-4/IL-5/IL-13 and the master transcription factor GAΤA3, participate in type 2 immune responses to larger extracellular pathogens such as helminths; Th17 cells, defined by the expression of lineage cytokines IL-17/IL-22 and the master transcription factor RORγt, participate in type 3 immune responses to extracellular pathogens including some bacteria and fungi; Tfh cells, by producing IL-21 and expressing Bcl6, help B cells produce corresponding antibodies; whereas Foxp3-expressing Treg cells, unlike Th1/Th2/Th17/Tfh exerting their effector functions, regulate immune responses to maintain immune cell homeostasis and prevent immunopathology. Interestingly, innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) have been found to mimic the functions of three major effector CD4 T helper subsets (Th1, Th2, and Th17) and thus can also be divided into three major subsets: ILC1s, ILC2s, and ILC3s. In this review, we will discuss the differentiation and functions of each CD4 T helper cell subset in the context of ILCs and human diseases associated with the dysregulation of these lymphocyte subsets particularly caused by monogenic mutations.

Tracing Antiviral CD8+ T Cell Responses Using In Vivo Imaging

Scientists have long valued the power of in vivo observation to answer fundamental biological questions. Over the last 20 years, the application and evolution of intravital microscopy (IVM) has vastly increased our ability to directly visualize immune responses as they are occurring in vivo after infection or immunization. Many IVM strategies employ a strong multiphoton laser that penetrates deeply into the tissues of living, anesthetized mice, allowing the precise tracking of the movement of cells as they navigate complex tissue environments. In the realm of viral infections, IVM has been applied to better understand many critical phases of effector T cell responses, from activation in the draining lymph node, to the execution of effector functions, and finally to the development of tissue-resident memory. In this review, we discuss seminal studies incorporating IVM that have advanced our understanding of the biology of antiviral CD8⁺ T cells.

Nano-immunoimaging

Immunoimaging is a rapidly growing field stoked in large part by the intriguing triumphs of immunotherapy. On the heels of immunotherapy's successes, there exists a growing need to evaluate tumor response to therapy particularly immunotherapy, stratify patients into responders vs. non-responders, identify inflammation, and better understand the fundamental roles of immune system components to improve both immunoimaging and immunotherapy. Innovative nanomaterials have begun to provide novel opportunities for immunoimaging, in part due to their sensitivity, modularity, capacity for many potentially varied ligands (high avidity), and potential for multifunctionality/multimodality imaging. This review strives to comprehensively summarize the integration of nanotechnology and immunoimaging, and the field's potential for clinical applications.

Deciphering myeloid-derived suppressor cells: isolation and markers in humans, mice and non-human primates

In cancer, infection and inflammation, the immune system's function can be dysregulated. Instead of fighting disease, immune cells may increase pathology and suppress host-protective immune responses. Myeloid cells show high plasticity and adapt to changing conditions and pathological challenges. Despite their relevance in disease pathophysiology, the identity, heterogeneity and biology of myeloid cells is still poorly understood. We will focus on phenotypical and functional markers of one of the key myeloid regulatory subtypes, the myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSC), in humans, mice and non-human primates. Technical issues regarding the isolation of the cells from tissues and blood, timing and sample handling of MDSC will be detailed. Localization of MDSC in a tissue context is of crucial importance and immunohistochemistry approaches for this purpose are discussed. A minimal antibody panel for MDSC research is provided as part of the Mye-EUNITER COST action. Strategies for the identification of additional markers applying state of the art technologies such as mass cytometry will be highlighted. Such marker sets can be used to study MDSC phenotypes across tissues, diseases as well as species and will be crucial to accelerate MDSC research in health and disease.

Visualizing immune responses of the airway mucosa

The airway mucosa is the primary tissue site exposed to inhaled particulate matter, which includes pathogens and allergens. While most inhaled particles are eliminated from the airways via mucociliary clearance, some pathogens may penetrate the mucosal epithelial barrier and an effective activation of the mucosal immune system is required to prevent further pathogen spread. Similarly, inhaled environmental allergens may induce an aberrant activation of immune cells in the airway mucosa, causing allergic airway disease. During the last years, several investigators employed advanced microscopic imaging on both intravital and tissue explant preparations to observe the dynamic behavior of various immune cells within their complex tissue environment. In the respiratory tract, most imaging studies focused on immune responses of the alveolar compartment in the lung periphery. However, equally important immunological events occur more proximally in the mucosa of the conducting airways, both during infection and allergic responses, calling for a more detailed imaging analysis also at this site. In this review, I will outline the technical challenges of designing microscopic imaging experiments in the conducting airways and summarize our recent efforts in understanding airway mucosal immune cell dynamics in steady-state conditions, during infection and allergy.

Easy Employment and Crosstalk-Free Detection of Seven Fluorophores in a Widefield Fluorescence Microscope

Immunofluorescence staining has become an essential tool in pathology and biomedical sciences to identify rare cells, cell–cell interactions, and submicroscopic cellular components. Many experimental settings, however, suffer from the fact that traditional widefield fluorescence microscopy is usually restricted to imaging three or four fluorophores only. Due to a lack of morphological information and a high detection limit, even flow cytometry—which is capable of staining 20 or more fluorophores at the same time—is limited in its applicability, especially in areas such as rare cell detection. Other advanced imaging approaches, such as confocal laser scanning microscopy and imaging flow cytometry, may be addressing these shortcomings, but in turn require sophisticated downstream data processing and high capital outlay. Here, we describe a new method and filter set-up to routinely employ up to seven fluorophores on a traditional widefield fluorescence microscope equipped with a standard high-pressure mercury light source. Quantification of crosstalk between channels and actual seven-color imaging of cancer cells spiked into leukocytes demonstrate that there is no need for digital compensation correction algorithms. Our set-up thus permits a detailed analysis of rare cell populations, co-localization of antigens, and cell morphology in a standard research or routine laboratory setting.

Synergistic Strategy for Multicolor Two-photon Microscopy: Application to the Analysis of Germinal Center Reactions In Vivo

Simultaneous detection of multiple cellular and molecular players in their native environment, one of the keys to a full understanding of immune processes, remains challenging for in vivo microscopy. Here, we present a synergistic strategy for spectrally multiplexed in vivo imaging composed of (i) triple two-photon excitation using spatiotemporal synchronization of two femtosecond lasers, (ii) a broad set of fluorophores with emission ranging from blue to near infrared, (iii) an effective spectral unmixing algorithm. Using our approach, we simultaneously excite and detect seven fluorophores expressed in distinct cellular and tissue compartments, plus second harmonics generation from collagen fibers in lymph nodes. This enables us to visualize the dynamic interplay of all the central cellular players during germinal center reactions. While current in vivo imaging typically enables recording the dynamics of 4 tissue components at a time, our strategy allows a more comprehensive analysis of cellular dynamics involving 8 single-labeled compartments. It enables to investigate the orchestration of multiple cellular subsets determining tissue function, thus, opening the way for a mechanistic understanding of complex pathophysiologic processes in vivo. In the future, the design of transgenic mice combining a larger spectrum of fluorescent proteins will reveal the full potential of our method.

Spatially resolved microfluidic stimulation of lymphoid tissue ex vivo

The lymph node is a structurally complex organ of the immune system, whose dynamic cellular arrangements are thought to control much of human health. Currently, no methods exist to precisely stimulate substructures within the lymph node or analyze local stimulus-response behaviors, making it difficult to rationally design therapies for inflammatory disease. Here we describe a novel integration of live lymph node slices with a microfluidic system for local stimulation. Slices maintained the cellular organization of the lymph node while making its core experimentally accessible. The 3-layer polydimethylsiloxane device consisted of a perfusion chamber stacked atop stimulation ports fed by underlying microfluidic channels. Fluorescent dextrans similar in size to common proteins, 40 and 70 kDa, were delivered to live lymph node slices with 284 ± 9 μm and 202 ± 15 μm spatial resolution, respectively, after 5 s, which is sufficient to target functional zones of the lymph node. The spread and quantity of stimulation were controlled by varying the flow rates of delivery; these were predictable using a computational model of isotropic diffusion and convection through the tissue. Delivery to two separate regions simultaneously was demonstrated, to mimic complex intercellular signaling. Delivery of a model therapeutic, glucose-conjugated albumin, to specific regions of the lymph node indicated that retention of the drug was greater in the B-cell zone than in the T-cell zone. Together, this work provides a novel platform, the lymph node slice-on-a-chip, to target and study local events in the lymph node and to inform the development of new immunotherapeutics.

Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Virus Infection Spreading in Tissues

Virus spreading in tissues is determined by virus transport, virus multiplication in host cells and the virus-induced immune response. Cytotoxic T cells remove infected cells with a rate determined by the infection level. The intensity of the immune response has a bell-shaped dependence on the concentration of virus, i.e., it increases at low and decays at high infection levels. A combination of these effects and a time delay in the immune response determine the development of virus infection in tissues like spleen or lymph nodes. The mathematical model described in this work consists of reaction-diffusion equations with a delay. It shows that the different regimes of infection spreading like the establishment of a low level infection, a high level infection or a transition between both are determined by the initial virus load and by the intensity of the immune response. The dynamics of the model solutions include simple and composed waves, and periodic and aperiodic oscillations. The results of analytical and numerical studies of the model provide a systematic basis for a quantitative understanding and interpretation of the determinants of the infection process in target organs and tissues from the image-derived data as well as of the spatiotemporal mechanisms of viral disease pathogenesis, and have direct implications for a biopsy-based medical testing of the chronic infection processes caused by viruses, e.g. HIV, HCV and HBV.

Topological Small-World Organization of the Fibroblastic Reticular Cell Network Determines Lymph Node Functionality

Fibroblastic reticular cells (FRCs) form the cellular scaffold of lymph nodes (LNs) and establish distinct microenvironmental niches to provide key molecules that drive innate and adaptive immune responses and control immune regulatory processes. Here, we have used a graph theory-based systems biology approach to determine topological properties and robustness of the LN FRC network in mice. We found that the FRC network exhibits an imprinted small-world topology that is fully regenerated within 4 wk after complete FRC ablation. Moreover, in silico perturbation analysis and in vivo validation revealed that LNs can tolerate a loss of approximately 50% of their FRCs without substantial impairment of immune cell recruitment, intranodal T cell migration, and dendritic cell-mediated activation of antiviral CD8+ T cells. Overall, our study reveals the high topological robustness of the FRC network and the critical role of the network integrity for the activation of adaptive immune responses.

Intravital Imaging of Neutrophil Priming Using IL-1β Promoter-driven DsRed Reporter Mice

Neutrophils are the most abundant leukocytes in human blood circulation and are quickly recruited to inflammatory sites. Priming is a critical event that enhances the phagocytic functionality of neutrophils. Although extensive studies have unveiled the existence and importance of neutrophil priming during infection and injury, means of visualizing this process in vivo have been unavailable. The protocol provided enables monitoring of the dynamic process of neutrophil priming in living animals by combining three methodologies: 1) DsRed reporter signal - used as a measure of priming 2) in vivo neutrophil labeling - achieved by injection of fluorescence-conjugated anti-lymphocyte antigen 6G (Ly6G) monoclonal antibody (mAb) and 3) intravital confocal imaging. Several critical steps are involved in this protocol: oxazolone-induced mouse ear skin inflammation, appropriate sedation of animals, repeated injections of anti-Ly6G mAb, and prevention of focus drift during imaging. Although a few limitations have been observed, such as the limit of continuous imaging time (~ 8 hr) in one mouse and the leakage of fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran from blood vessels in the inflammatory state, this protocol provides a fundamental framework for intravital imaging of primed neutrophil behavior and function, which can easily be expanded to examination of other immune cells in mouse inflammation models.

Immunotherapy of Cancer Visualized by Live Microscopy: Seeing Is Believing

The success of immunotherapy of cancer depends on several cellular events in the tumors that can be visualized by live microscopy strategies in experimental models. Taking advantage of advanced microscopy techniques, Lehmann and colleagues explore in this issue of CCR the mechanism of action of a novel bispecific mAb (TCB-CEA) that targets membrane-bound CEA and CD3ε. Clin Cancer Res; 22(17); 4277-9. ©2016 AACRSee related article by Lehmann et al., p. 4417.

In Vivo Visualization of Tumor Antigen-containing Microparticles Generated in Fluorescent-protein-elicited Immunity

In vivo optical spatio-temporal imaging of the tumor microenvironment is useful to explain how tumor immunotherapies work. However, the lack of fluorescent antigens with strong immunogenicity makes it difficult to study the dynamics of how tumors are eliminated by any given immune response. Here, we develop an effective fluorescent model antigen based on the tetrameric far-red fluorescent protein KatushkaS158A (tfRFP), which elicits both humoral and cellular immunity. We use this fluorescent antigen to visualize the dynamic behavior of immunocytes as they attack and selectively eliminate tfRFP-expressing tumors in vivo; swarms of immunocytes rush toward tumors with high motility, clusters of immunocytes form quickly, and numerous antigen-antibody complexes in the form of tfRFP(+) microparticles are generated in the tumor areas and ingested by macrophages in the tumor microenvironment. Therefore, tfRFP, as both a model antigen and fluorescent reporter, is a useful tool to visualize specific immune responses in vivo.

Organ-wide 3D-imaging and topological analysis of the continuous microvascular network in a murine lymph node

Understanding of the microvasculature has previously been limited by the lack of methods capable of capturing and modelling complete vascular networks. We used novel imaging and computational techniques to establish the topology of the entire blood vessel network of a murine lymph node, combining 63,706 confocal images at 2 μm pixel resolution to cover a volume of 3.88 mm(3). Detailed measurements including the distribution of vessel diameters, branch counts, and identification of voids were subsequently re-visualised in 3D revealing regional specialisation within the network. By focussing on critical immune microenvironments we quantified differences in their vascular topology. We further developed a morphology-based approach to identify High Endothelial Venules, key sites for lymphocyte extravasation. These data represent a comprehensive and continuous blood vessel network of an entire organ and provide benchmark measurements that will inform modelling of blood vessel networks as well as enable comparison of vascular topology in different organs.

Elucidation of monocyte/macrophage dynamics and function by intravital imaging

Monocytes and macrophages are a diverse population of innate immune cells that play a critical role in homeostasis and inflammation. These cells are surveillant by nature and closely monitor the vasculature and surrounding tissue during states of health and disease. Given their abundance and strategic positioning throughout the body, myeloid cells are among the first responders to any inflammatory challenge and are active participants in most immune-mediated diseases. Recent studies have shed new light on myeloid cell dynamics and function by use of an imaging technique referred to as intravital microscopy (IVM). This powerful approach allows researchers to gain real-time insights into monocytes and macrophages performing homeostatic and inflammatory tasks in living tissues. In this review, we will present a contemporary synopsis of how intravital microscopy has revolutionized our understanding of myeloid cell contributions to vascular maintenance, microbial defense, autoimmunity, tumorigenesis, and acute/chronic inflammatory diseases.

Stabilizing 3D in vivo intravital microscopy images with an iteratively refined soft-tissue model for immunology experiments

We describe a set of new algorithms and a software tool, StabiTissue, for stabilizing in vivo intravital microscopy images that suffer from soft-tissue background movement. Because these images lack predetermined anchors and are dominated by noise, we use a pixel weighted image alignment together with a correction for nonlinear tissue deformations. We call this correction a poor man׳s diffeomorphic map since it ascertains the nonlinear regions of the image without resorting to a full integral equation method. To determine the quality of the image stabilization, we developed an ensemble sampling method that quantifies the coincidence between image pairs from randomly distributed image regions. We obtain global stabilization alignment through an iterative constrained simulated annealing optimization procedure. To show the accuracy of our algorithm with existing software, we measured the misalignment error rate in datasets taken from two different organs and compared the results to a similar and popular open-source solution. Present open-source stabilization software tools perform poorly because they do not treat the specific needs of the IV-2pM datasets with soft-tissue deformation, speckle noise, full 5D inter- and intra-stack motion error correction, and undefined anchors. In contrast, the results of our tests demonstrate that our method is more immune to noise and provides better performance for datasets' possessing nonlinear tissue deformations. As a practical application of our software, we show how our stabilization improves cell tracking, where the presence of background movement would degrade track information. We also provide a qualitative comparison of our software with other open-source libraries/applications. Our software is freely available at the open source repository http://sourceforge.net/projects/stabitissue/.

Advances in fluorescence labeling strategies for dynamic cellular imaging

Synergistic advances in optical physics, probe design, molecular biology, labeling techniques and computational analysis have propelled fluorescence imaging into new realms of spatiotemporal resolution and sensitivity. This review aims to discuss advances in fluorescent probes and live-cell labeling strategies, two areas that remain pivotal for future advances in imaging technology. Fluorescent protein- and bio-orthogonal-based methods for protein and RNA imaging are discussed as well as emerging bioengineering techniques that enable their expression at specific genomic loci (for example, CRISPR and TALENs). Important attributes that contribute to the success of each technique are emphasized, providing a guideline for future advances in dynamic live-cell imaging.

Easy performance of 6-color confocal immunofluorescence with 4-laser line microscopes

Confocal laser scanning microscopy is an advanced technique for imaging tissue samples in vitro and in vivo at high optical resolution. The development of new fluorochrome variants do not only make it possible to perform multicolor flow cytometry of single cells, but in combination with high resolution laser scanning systems also to investigate the distribution of cells in lymphoid tissues by confocal immunofluorescence analyses, thus allowing the distinction of various cell populations directly in the tissue. Here, we provide a protocol for the visualization of at least six differently fluorochrome-labeled antibodies at the same time using a conventional confocal laser scanning microscope with four laser lines (405 nm, 488 nm, 555 nm, and 639 nm laser wavelength) in both murine and human tissue samples. We further demonstrate that compensation correction algorithms are not necessary to reduce spillover of fluorochromes into other channels when the used fluorochromes are combined according to their specific emission bands and the varying Stokes shift for co-excited fluorochromes with the same laser line.

The multiple faces of leukocyte interstitial migration

Spatiotemporal control of leukocyte dynamics within tissues is critical for successful innate and adaptive immune responses. Homeostatic trafficking and coordinated infiltration into and within sites of inflammation and infection rely on signaling in response to extracellular cues that in turn controls a variety of intracellular protein networks regulating leukocyte motility, migration, chemotaxis, positioning, and cell-cell interaction. In contrast to mesenchymal cells, leukocytes migrate in an amoeboid fashion by rapid cycles of actin polymerization and actomyosin contraction, and their migration in tissues is generally referred to as low adhesive and nonproteolytic. The interplay of actin network expansion, contraction, and adhesion shapes the exact mode of amoeboid migration, and in this review, we explore how leukocyte subsets potentially harness the same basic biomechanical mechanisms in a cell-type-specific manner. Most of our detailed understanding of these processes derives from in vitro migration studies in three-dimensional gels and confined spaces that mimic geometrical aspects of physiological tissues. We summarize these in vitro results and then critically compare them to data from intravital imaging of leukocyte interstitial migration in mouse tissues. We outline the technical challenges of obtaining conclusive mechanistic results from intravital studies, discuss leukocyte migration strategies in vivo, and present examples of mode switching during physiological interstitial migration. These findings are also placed in the context of leukocyte migration defects in primary immunodeficiencies. This overview of both in vitro and in vivo studies highlights recent progress in understanding the molecular and biophysical mechanisms that shape robust leukocyte migration responses in physiologically complex and heterogeneous environments.