Antiphospholipid Syndrome Research Labs

Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is an unpredictable, chronic autoimmune disease that can cause dangerous clots to form in the body's blood vessels. An estimated 200,000 people in the United States have this condition that leads to serious and sometimes life-threatening complications including stroke, heart attack, and pregnancy-related problems such as miscarriage or premature birth.

Our team, along with many collaborators across Michigan Medicine, are working to advance the understanding of the disease process and identify new, sophisticated approaches to the treatment of APS that are both personalized and proactive. We are also taking what we learn about blood clotting in APS and applying that knowledge to other diseases including lupus, diabetes, and COVID-19.

Dr. Jason Knight and Dr. Yu (Ray) Zuo give a virtual tour of their labs and discuss their research work on APS and COVID-19.

The patients in our APS clinic help to accelerate our research and are our most important partners in our fight against APS. Patients seen in our clinic are given the opportunity to be a part of our ANSWERS study, a prospective cohort study in which we regularly sample blood in pursuit of deep molecular phenotyping. Blood samples are taken to our labs, where we study the process of how antiphospholipid antibodies accelerate blood clotting. We believe this study will eventually allow us to treat patients before their first blood clot even happens.

Watch Dr. Knight's lecture "Pursuing Neutrophil Neutrality in APS and Beyond".

Please visit the Antiphospholipid Syndrome Program section on UofMHealth.org to learn about APS and how to make an appointment at our clinic. In this section, you will also find APS 101, a recurring feature that provides facts and key information to help patients better understand the disease.

If you are interested in receiving updates on our patient care and research efforts, please join our APS Program email list. Read the APS Program August 2023 Update.

Marvin and Betty Danto Research Professor of Connective Tissue Research
Associate Professor, Division of Rheumatology

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Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @jasonsknight

Edward T. and Ellen K. Dryer Early Career Professor of Rheumatology
Assistant Professor, Division of Rheumatology

Michigan Medicine Profile
Google Scholar Profile
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @RayZuoMD

New research holds exceptional promise for finally treating APS at its source. Donor funding makes a significant, measurable difference to researchers. Read Support Our Work to learn about the impact donor generosity can have on our research.