By DoM Communications | Date published: November 17, 2025
Milka Koupenova and Lab Members Study Pattern Recognition Receptor-Associated Immuno-Thrombotic Transcript Changes in Platelets and Leukocytes with COVID-19
Respiratory infections such as COVID-19 increase the risk of blood clots. Platelets and white blood cells (leukocytes) can be major contributors through their pathogen-activated receptors, called pattern recognition receptors (PRRs). In a study published in PLOS Pathogens, Milka Koupenova, PhD, assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, along with lab members Heather Corkrey, MS, Heather Learnard, MS, and Anthony Sciaudone, BA, explored how PRRS and clotting-related genes associate and change in COVID-19 and how PRRs from each cell type correlate to COVID-19 severity, survival, and ability to form blood clots. The team additionally compared associations between PRRs and clotting-related genes in COVID-19 to changes related to influenza and tuberculosis (TB). Other collaborators on the study included Jason Core, MD, PGY3, Jeffrey Rade, MD, professor of medicine in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Hardy Kornfeld, MD, professor of medicine in the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Jennifer Wang, MD, professor of medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Jane Freedman, MD, and Kahraman Tanriverdi, PhD.