Deciphering the interplay of innate immune cells and platelets in cardiogenic shock by functional and proteomic analysis

In this project, we aim to better understand the interplay of platelets, innate immunity and the coagulation cascade in cardiogenic and septic shock by prospectively and longitudinally profiling patients suffering from cardiogenic shock. To understand differences between sterile inflammation observed in CGS with immune responses to infection, we will include a septic shock and healthy control cohort. We combine multicolor flow cytometry panels and functional assays with unbiased large-scale methods, in particular proteomic analysis of peripheral neutrophils and platelets along with targeted multiplex analysis of blood plasma contents such as chemokines, granule proteins and coagulation factors. This approach allows for an in-depth understanding of the factors leading to immune dysregulation and organ dysfunction in the deadly setting of shock and may lead to identification of pathological pathways amenable for (immuno)therapeutic targeting.