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Lymph nodes (LNs) are secondary immune organs dispersed throughout the body. They are primarily composed of lymphocytes, "transient passengers" that are only present for a few hours. During this time, they extensively interact with a meshwork of stromal cells. Although these cells constitute less than 5% of all LN cells, they are integral to LN function: Stromal cells create a three-dimensional network that provides a rigid backbone for the transport of lymph and generates "roads" for lymphocyte migration. Beyond structural support, the LN stroma also produces survival signals for lymphocytes and provides nutrients, soluble factors, antigens, and immune cells collectively required for immune surveillance and the generation of adaptive immune responses. A unique feature of LNs is their ability to considerably and rapidly change size: the volume and cellularity of inflamed LNs can increase up to 20-fold before returning to homeostatic levels. This cycle will be repeated many times during life and is accommodated by stromal cells. The dynamics underlying this dramatic remodeling are subject of this review. We will first introduce the main types of LN stromal cells and explain their known functions. We will then discuss how these cells enable LN growth during immune responses, with a particular focus on underlying cellular mechanisms and molecular cues. Similarly, we will elaborate on stromal dynamics mediating the return to LN homeostasis, a process that is mechanistically much less understood than LN expansion., (© 2019 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Lymph node (LN) stromal cells are being recognized as key organizers of the immune system. They assemble in complex 3D networks and hence, need to be studied in situ to fully understand their exact functions. Here, we describe two distinct but complementary procedures that allow analyzing LN stromal cells at high resolution by confocal imaging.

Lymphoid stromal cells are best known as the architectural cells of lymphoid organs. For decades, they have been considered as inert elements of the immune system but this view has changed dramatically in recent years, when it was discovered that they are endowed with critical immunoregulatory functions. It is now accepted that without them, the adaptive immune response would be compromised, if not abrogated entirely. Here, we review the function of the major lymphoid stromal cell types; the way they remodel upon inflammation; discuss the available tools to track their behavior; and introduce several methodological approaches that we believe will help improving our knowledge of these pivotal cell types., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)