Neutrophil migration dynamics in inflammation and trained immunity

Our bodies are constantly threatened by tissue damage and infection. Cells of the immune system are remarkably capable of sensing perturbations in our body’s integrity and mobilising themselves towards such compromised loci, in a process referred to as ‘inflammation’. All of us experience the bothersome symptoms of inflammation, namely redness, swelling and pain, at one point or another. These are associated with the infiltration of immune cells, crucial for defending damaged tissue from harmful microbial pathogens. Despite the vital role of inflammation in protecting our body, sometimes this process goes awry, leading to complications and diseases, whereby relevant therapeutics are still limited. We are interested in unravelling mechanisms that allow immune cells to distinguish healthy from damaged tissue and to organise their migratory response to such sites. One area of focus is how the migratory cells themselves shape the chemical gradients that guide their migration during inflammation. Another area of interest is to understand how the history of exposure to microbes affects the migratory patterns of cells and how we can use such knowledge to reprogram the behaviour of cells during inflammation. To study immune cell migration at the single cell level in a live organism, we employ powerful microscopy techniques and genetic experimentations in a small model organism, the zebrafish. Through this approach, we are able to visualise and manipulate unforeseen immune cell behaviours within the real setting of tissue damage and infections.