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Background, Rationale and Significance: Integrins are key mediators of the recruitment of leukocytes which play critical roles in human immunity and inflammatory diseases. Insights about Integrin function hold out the prospect improved inflammatory disease prevention. Blood leukocytes including neutrophils, monocytes, and lymphocytes, all have a recruitment cascade during inflammation and infections. They can first roll on the vascular endothelium, firmly adhere (arrest) on the vascular endothelium, spread on the vascular endothelium, perform intravascular crawling, transmigrate through vascular endothelium, and finally, migrate to the site of inflammation or infections. This cascade is essential for the recruitment and immunological function of leukocytes and involved in many infectious and inflammatory diseases. Integrins, are a group of adhesion molecules vital for the recruitment cascade. Studying the mechanisms and roles of integrin activation will bring new insights into leukocyte recruitment and immune functions and invite discovery of novel treatments for infectious and inflammatory diseases. (See Protocol-Appendix for Leukocyte Recruitment, Integrin Activation Pathways and Super Resolution/ Flow Imaging Graphics- pg.10-16) This protocol is used to develop a continuing supply of fresh blood donations for the Integrin Research Laboratories under the direction of the PI @ UConn Health, Dept of Immunology where the PI recently joined. 2 recent PI authored publications are included for reviewer, explanatory of the Integrin research for which materials are to be utilized in ongoing experiments.
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