Center for Systems Biology

Research Highlights (more...)

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  A new cell discovered

  Sepsis is a life-threatening condition characterized by whole-body inflammation to overwhelming infection. A newly discovered cell type known as “innate response activator” has been found to protect against sepsis. This discovery will likely provide insight into the development of sepsis and potentially lead to new avenues for therapeutic intervention.

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  Novel therapy turns off navigation system in disease-promoting cells

  By manipulating the molecular navigation system used by inflammatory immune cells to reach sites of tissue damage, researchers at the Center for Systems Biology may have struck upon an effective novel anti-inflammatory treatment. Given that inflammation is an exacerbator of almost all major diseases, this therapy could potentially have wide-spread benefit.

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  Probing the heart for infection

  A new imaging probe developed by researchers at the Center for Systems Biology can detect acute endocarditis, a rapidly progressing infection of the heart valves. This imaging agent binds tightly to a product released by the most deadly cause of the infection-Staphylococcus aureus-rendering it visible by both optical and PET imaging. Ultimately, the agent could be used to rapidly diagnose, and thus treat, this potentially fatal condition.

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  The spleen's newly discovered function

  While the spleen has long held a reputation for redundancy, recent research has now shown that quite the opposite is true. The spleen, in fact, appears to play an important role in the repair of tissue. Mikael Pittet, one of the four lead investigators responsible for this finding, discusses this work and its possible implications.

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  Glow-in-the-dark plaques

  Finding new uses for already FDA approved drugs is a speedy way of translating new biological discoveries into patient benefit. Using a novel catheter-based imaging system, the fluorescent dye Indocyanine green has been shown capable of highlighting the culprits responsible for strokes and heart attacks, namely inflamed arterial plaques.

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  When small meets speedy...

  In today's fast paced world, waiting for anything is often frustrating and stressful. But few delays can be worse than that following a diagnostic blood test or biopsy, where results can take days to come back. Recently, a new portable device, known as DMR has been shown capable of on the spot cancer diagnosis.