Intravital microscopy contribution to cancer: From preclinical to human studies

Intravital microscopy enables dynamic and real-time visualisation of microscopic structures in living tissues without the need for fixation, with real-life applicability being illustrated by several first-in-human studies in different cancers. Its use in preclinical models has yielded important observations of the microvasculature of both healthy and diseased tissues. It has further enabled the observation of the interactions between important components of the tissue microenvironment such as immune cells and neighbouring microvessels. Important recent technological advances, however, have enabled the translation of this technology to human use. Here, we review the main advances in intravital microscopy and some of the most recent uses in different human disease settings.