How white blood cells move through blood vessel walls during inflammation
Transendothelial Migration of Leukocytes: Developing New Paradigms in Health and Disease
Researchers are learning how immune (white) blood cells squeeze through vessel walls during inflammation to help develop treatments that limit harmful swelling and tissue damage.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Northwestern University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11300174 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project focuses on the moment leukocytes (white blood cells) cross the endothelial cells that line small blood vessels during inflammation. The team uses lab-grown cells, human blood-derived immune cells, and molecular tools to track key proteins and membrane compartments (such as PECAM, CD99, and the LBRC) that guide this process. Experiments tweak specific molecules and signaling steps to see how those changes affect cell passage. The goal is to identify targets on the blood-vessel side that could be turned into safer, more focused therapies to reduce damaging inflammation.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with inflammatory conditions—such as autoimmune disorders, acute inflammatory injuries, or blood-vessel inflammation—are the most likely to benefit from therapies derived from this work.
Not a fit: Patients whose conditions are not driven by immune-cell migration (for example purely genetic structural disorders or non-inflammatory diseases) are unlikely to benefit directly.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new treatments that prevent immune cells from causing tissue damage in inflammatory diseases.
How similar studies have performed: Some existing therapies that block immune-cell movement (for example certain integrin inhibitors) have shown benefit but also risks, and this project builds on decades of lab discoveries to pursue a more targeted endothelial-focused approach.
Where this research is happening
Chicago, United States
- Northwestern University — Chicago, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Muller, William a — Northwestern University
- Study coordinator: Muller, William a
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.