The Sol Sherry Thrombosis Research Center of Temple University School of Medicine is dedicated to advancing our understanding of the etiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of arterial and venous thrombosis and hemorrhagic diseases.  To fulfill this goal, our investigators examine the role of platelets, plasma coagulation factors, protease inhibitors, and neutrophils in thrombogenesis and inflammatory disorders.  As normal biochemical and physiologic mechanisms are elucidated, departures from these patterns of response provide knowledge of pathologic processes, providing a necessary platform for the development of diagnostic tests.  Each research project in the Center has the potential to initiate appropriate inhibitory drugs or other therapeutic approaches in preventing platelet aggregation, blood coagulation, neutrophil activation, and fibrin formation – all of which contribute to the formation of an obstructive thrombus.
 
The professional staff represents a mixture of physician-scientists and basic scientists.  Though traditionally, the Center has concentrated on platelet cell biology and the biochemistry of coagulation proteins, faculty now emphasize molecular biological approaches to the structure-function relationships of proteins involved in the process of inflammation.  Molecular genetic and immunochemical approaches are being used to examine expression of coagulation and inflammatory proteins in neutrophils, monocytes, endothelial cells, and tumor cells.
 
A new direction for the Center is the concept of the coagulation, fibrinolytic, complement and kinin-forming systems as defense systems for the human organism against pathogenesis.  When unregulated, these reactions can result in hemorrhage, thrombosis, and inflammatory reactions.  We also are currently studying proangiogenic systems important in cardiovascular disease as well as anti-angiogenic proteins which could be important in treating neoplastic disorders. Vascular biology has become a major thrust of this research center.