Leaky blood vessels during inflammation
Vascular Barrier Leakage in Inflammation
Researchers are working to find what makes blood vessels leak during inflammation and how to stop it to help people with heart disease, stroke, diabetes, sepsis, and trauma.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of South Florida NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Tampa, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11325081 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project compares human blood and tissue samples with animal models to pinpoint why blood vessels become leaky during inflammatory injury. The team looks for circulating factors that trigger leakage, studies vessel-lining cell receptors and signaling, and examines cell junctions, the cytoskeleton, and the glycocalyx that control barrier opening. They combine advanced lab techniques and comparative analyses to bridge animal findings to human biology. The work aims to create a clearer path toward therapies that protect vessel barriers in several common diseases.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would include people with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes, sepsis, or other inflammatory vascular conditions, or those willing to provide blood or tissue samples for research.
Not a fit: People without vascular inflammation or those seeking immediate clinical treatment are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this primarily laboratory-focused research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new ways to prevent or reduce harmful blood-vessel leakage and limit organ damage in conditions like atherosclerosis, stroke, sepsis, and diabetic complications.
How similar studies have performed: Previous laboratory and animal studies, including work on nmMLCK signaling, have identified pathways that control barrier function, but translating those findings into effective human therapies remains largely unproven.
Where this research is happening
Tampa, United States
- University of South Florida — Tampa, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Yuan, Sarah Y — University of South Florida
- Study coordinator: Yuan, Sarah Y
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.