How fat are your platelets?

Defining the platelet lipidome in cardiovascular disease in humans and mice (Mr Christopher Brasher)

Supervised by Professor Valerie O’Donnell, this PhD student will define the lipid ‘signature’ of platelets – cells that circulate in our bloodstream to stop bleeding. During heart and circulatory disease, platelets can become overactive and contribute to heart attacks and strokes. Platelets make lipids, a type of fatty molecule, which can control how platelets form blood clots. In atherosclerosis, the underlying cause of coronary heart disease, when blood vessels narrow with fatty plaques, the types of lipid are altered. Professor O’Donnell’s research team uses a technique called mass spectrometry to discover new lipids involved in health and disease. They have found that platelets contain over 5,500 unique lipids, but only around half of these have been studied by researchers. In this project, the student will study how platelet lipids change when blood clotting is stimulated using a molecule called thrombin or blocked using the drug aspirin. They will study platelet lipids from both healthy people and people with coronary heart disease, as well as from mice that have atherosclerosis, to see if there are differences. This research will define the types of lipid, or the ‘lipidome’, within platelets. It will open up new opportunities for research, such as finding new markers of heart disease and identifying new ways to prevent or treat blood clotting.