Long‐term in vivo imaging of normal and pathological mouse spinal cord with subcellular resolution using implanted glass windows

•  Chronic in vivo imaging of cellular interactions within the adult spinal cord with subcellular resolution is important for understanding cellular physiology and disease progression. •  Previous approaches for chronic in vivo spinal cord microscopy have required surgery for each imaging session. •  Here we describe a novel method for implanting glass windows over the exposed spinal cords of adult mice for repeated in vivo microscopy. •  We show that the windows remain clear for many months after implantation, do not damage axons or blood vessels, and are useful for studying cellular dynamics after spinal cord injury. •  Our method represents an original technical breakthrough for scientists involved in spinal cord research and in vivo imaging, and is a useful tool for studying cellular physiology and disease progression.

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