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Inflammation

Inflammation is the complex biological process in which cells of the immune system (i.e. 'white blood cells' or 'leukocytes') are recruited into tissues in response to harmful stimuli (e.g., pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants). This is a protective attempt by the organism to remove the injurious stimuli and initiate tissue healing. As the interface between blood circulation and underlying tissue the vascular endothelium plays a central role in the initiation and progression of inflammatory responses. Under basal conditions the endothelium serves as a barrier to leukocyte migration. However, in the presence of appropriate stimuli endothelial cells initiate diverse signaling and transcriptional events that alter their morphology and barrier function and induce recruitment of leukocytes. Misregulation of these processes leads to variety of inflammatory diseases that are associated with inappropriate leukocyte recruitment/activation, leakage of plasma into the interstitium (i.e. edema) and excessive damage of host tissues.

Center for Vascular Biology Research investigators at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center investigators are interested in a range of inflammatory disease including sepsis, atherosclerosis, allograft rejection and diabetes. Investigators are studying the vascular contribution to inflammation at a variety of levels including regulation of both pro-inflammatory and cyto-protective genes in endothelium and vascular smooth muscle cells and the signaling and cell biological basis for vascular permeability and leukocyte-endothelial interactions. In addition CVBR members are engaged in clinical studies targeted at developing novel biomarkers for endothelial dysfunction and structural biology-based drug discovery aimed at attenuating such dysfunction.

Inflammation Researcher Faculty
William Aird, MD Director, Center for Vascular Biology Research Research area: Endothelial Cell Phenotypes in Health and Disease Read his profile >>
Christopher Carman, PhD Research area: Leukocyte-Endothelial Interactions Read his profile >>
Ann M. Dvorak, MD Research area: Basophil, Mast Cell, Eosinophil and Endothelial Cell Biology Read her profile >>
Christiane Ferran, MD, PhD Research area: Diabetes and Transplant Associated Arteriosclerosis Read her profile >>
David J. Friedman, MD Research area: Renovascular Disease Read his profile >>
Peter Oettgen, MD Research area: Vascular Development and Inflammation Read his profile >>
Samir M. Parikh, MD Research area: Vascular Dysfunction in Sepsis Read his profile >>
Erzsebet R. Regan, PhD Research area: Transcriptional Regulatory Networks Read his profile >>
Alan C. Rigby, PhD Research area: Structural and Computational Drug Discovery Read his profile >>
Teresa Sanchez, PhD Research area: Sphingolipid Signaling in Endothelial Injury Read her profile >>
Nathan I. Shapiro, MD Research area: Endothelial Cell Dysfunction in Sepsis Read his profile >>
Kiichiro Yano, PhD Research area: Endothelium Dysfunction in Inflammatory Diseases Read his profile >>

Find a Researcher

Contact Information

Nicole Magner, Administrative Assistant
Center for Vascular Biology Research
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Research North
99 Brookline Avenue
Boston, MA 02215
617-667-0654
info.cvbr@bidmc.harvard.edu

Inflammation

William Aird, MD

Christopher Carman, PhD

Ann M. Dvorak, MD

Christiane Ferran, MD, PhD

David J. Friedman, MD

Peter Oettgen, MD

Samir M. Parikh, MD

Erzsebet R. Regan, PhD

Alan C. Rigby, PhD

Teresa Sanchez, PhD

Nathan I. Shapiro, MD

Kiichiro Yano, PhD

Contact Information