A web-based research tool for functional genomics of the microcirculation:The leukocyte adhesion cascade

Objective: Currently, microvascular data are almost exclusively deposited i n scholarly journals. With the increasing availability of molecular data an d the construction of genomic databases, a need arises to organize physiolo gical data in a more accessible format. The microcirculation is a functiona l system that spans all organ systems and shares certain characteristics of organization with metabolic pathways, which have successfully been organiz ed around genomic information for several prokaryotes. Here, we present a w eb-based research and teaching tool (http://hsc.Virginia.EDU/medicine/basic -sci/biomed/ley/) that covers a small aspect of microcirculator physiology, the leuocyte adhesion cascade. Methods: Currently, the site is organized in a flat-text mode with hypertes t links to GenBank Medline, and online journals where available. Results: The web-based research and education tool is useful for graduate s tudent education, and as a research resource for genetic researchers intere sted in gene function and for physiologists and biomedical engineers intere sted in the molecular basis of the leukocyte adhesion cascade. Our effort i s intended to be a beginning toward a distributed database for the microcir culation (microcirculation physiome, see http:// www.bme.jhu.edu/news/micro phys). Conclusions: We invite all microvascular researchers to provide annotations and comments to make the research and teaching tool more useful to the sci entific community.