Dynamics of systemic inflammatory response

Systemic inflammatory responses are organism-wide immune flares, characterized by high levels of immune signaling proteins ('cytokine storms') and infiltration of immune cells into tissues and organs. Initially triggered by pathogen- and damage-associated molecular cues, they continue for days after the stimulus is cleared. These complex responses emerge from interactions between cells and signaling factors throughout the organism, and many questions about their control and dynamics remain open. I will discuss our work using high-throughput transcriptomic measurements to map phase portraits of these responses, addressing basic questions about the geometry of the dynamical landscape: is there a threshold near homeostasis, and excitable dynamics? Alternative basins? I will discuss the implications of these results for forecasting and manipulating these responses.