Clinical Chemistry
We work in clinical chemistry and focus biomarkers and on understanding crosstalks of the coagulation system with blood cells, the vessel wall, and hosts-defence systems. Our goal is to improve clinical diagnostics and our mission is to identify new strategies to interfere with thrombotic and inflammatory diseases.
Thrombosis — localized clotting of the blood — may occur in the arterial or the venous circulation and has a major medical impact. Acute arterial thrombosis is the proximal cause of most cases of myocardial infarction (heart attack) and of about 80% of strokes, collectively the most common cause of death in the developed world. Venous thromboembolism is the third leading cause of cardiovascular-associated death. The pathogenic changes that occur in the blood vessel wall and in the blood itself resulting in thrombosis and proinflammatory reactions are not fully understood. Understanding these processes is crucial for developing safer and more effective antithrombotic and antiinflammatory drugs.
The major focus of our work is in the cardiovascular field the areas of thrombosis & hemostasis and inflammation. We are interested in mechanisms of thrombus and edema formation and analyze crosstalks of the blood coagulation system with platelets, leukocytes, and the vessel wall.