The lung represents a unique immune environment. The primary function of the lung is to enable gas exchange by facilitating the transfer of oxygen into and carbon dioxide out of the blood. However, as a direct byproduct of this process the lung is also constantly exposed to particles, allergens, and pathogens alongside air itself. Due to this, the pulmonary immune system exists in a fine balance between quiescence and inflammation, deviations from which can lead to a failure in respiratory function. A rich history exists attempting to define the critical features of lung immunity, and most recently advances in intravital microscopy have enabled the visualization of intercellular immune dynamics in both steady-state and a variety of disease conditions. In this review, we will summarize a variety of approaches to intravital lung imaging as well as how its application has advanced our understanding of normal lung function as well as disease states such as pulmonary metastasis, asthma, and lung injury.

肺代表独特的免疫环境。肺的主要功能是通过促进氧气向血液中的转移以及二氧化碳从血液中的转移来实现气体交换。但是，作为该过程的直接副产物，肺也与空气本身一样不断暴露于颗粒，过敏原和病原体。因此，肺部免疫系统处于静止状态和炎症之间的良好平衡，偏离该状态会导致呼吸功能衰竭。尝试定义肺部免疫的关键特征已有很长的历史，并且最近在活体内显微镜检查方面的进展已使可视化处于稳态和多种疾病状态的细胞间免疫动力学成为可能。在这篇评论中，