The plasma contact system, which regulates both blood clotting and inflammation, is dysfunctional in many infectious diseases. The Strickland lab will use a mouse model of sepsis to examine the role of the plasma contact system in this infectious disease pathology. They will use genetically modified mice or a newly developed antibody to block contact system activation and determine if this inhibition is beneficial for sepsis. This antibody has the potential to be useful in treating infectious disease.
The brain is critically dependent on sufficient blood flow. Strickland’s laboratory investigates how dysfunction of the circulatory system contributes to neurological conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease in humans and in mice.
