Inflammation, Brain
Conditions
Keywords
infection
Brief summary
The protocol is to draw peripheral blood from healthy volunteers for in vitro studies. The aims of these in vitro studies are to determine the cellular and intracellular mechanisms by which hypertonic saline and ATP release regulate neutrophil and lymphocyte functions.
Detailed description
The proper regulation of leukocyte function is critical for immune defense and to prevent autoimmune diseases. Many aspects of immune cell regulation are unknown. A better understanding could lead to novel therapeutic approaches to improve immune function in patients suffering from various diseases. The investigators have found that hypertonic conditions regulate leukocyte functions through feedback mechanisms involving ATP release and purinergic receptors. The purpose of the proposed protocol is to obtain access to peripheral blood from healthy volunteers to study these complex regulatory mechanisms in more detail.
Interventions
OTHERNo intervention (drugs) will be given. Purpose: collecting blood for in vitro studies
No drugs or interventions are given. Single purpose is to draw blood from healthy subjects to study immune cell biology in vitro. No records about subjects to be kept.
Sponsors
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Study design
Observational model
OTHER
Time perspective
OTHER
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* any healthy volunteer
Exclusion criteria
* pregnancy * needing/using drugs * inflammatory or infectious complications
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Immune cells will be studied in vitro to learn about basic mechanisms of immune cell signaling. | Blood is collected as needed; time frame: indefinitely. Blood used between 1-7 days after blood draws. | The purpose of this study is to obtain blood from healthy subjects (volunteers) for in vitro studies to explore how immune cells function. Cells will be isolated and subjected to various tests including stimuli that simulate immune cell activation in health and disease. Subjects will not be subjected to any treatments. Only some of the cells (leukocytes) in the blood will be studied. For example, activation events such as cytokine production, the ability of leukocytes (=immune cells) to detect and respond to bacterial products will be assessed. No identifiable information about study subjects will be kept. |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed