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3D rendered image of lymphocytes

Inflammation Biology Group

3D rendered image of lymphocytes

We are a research group based in Birmingham investigating how inflammation is regulated in health, disease and ageing. We study the cells and molecular pathways that drive protective immune responses, and how these become dysregulated in chronic inflammatory conditions

Meet the Inflammation Biology Group

Immune cell rolling on vascular endothelium (flow assay) | University of Birmingham

The video shows immune cells being carried by the flow, briefly attaching to the endothelial surface and then “rolling” along it, rather than sticking firmly straight away. Rolling is an important early step, supported by specialised proteins on the endothelium, that allows immune cells to slow down, receive signals and decide whether to stop and migrate into tissue. This assay helps us understand how blood flow and endothelial activation shape immune cell behaviour and contribute to vascular inflammation.

Blood vessels are lined by endothelial cells, which act as the “gatekeepers” that control when and where immune cells leave the bloodstream and enter tissues. In this video, we recreate blood flow in the laboratory by passing circulating immune cells over a layer of endothelial cells under controlled flow conditions.

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