Regulation of thrombus formation by the rate of platelet activation
Dr Christopher Jones and his team at the University of Reading are studying how small blood cells called platelets clump together to form clots when blood vessels become damaged. Large clots in the heart’s blood vessels can cause heart attacks, and this study may reveal better ways to prevent and treat them. Dr Jones has discovered that the size of a clot is controlled by the speed, not the strength, with which platelets respond to vessel damage. We know that the speed of platelet response varies from person to person but we don’t know how much, or what causes the differences. In this project, Dr Jones and his team will use state-of-the-art techniques to study the speed of platelet response and clot formation. They aim to unravel the molecular mechanisms that control the speed of platelet response, and find out why the speed of platelet response varies between people. They also hope to understand how changes in the speed of platelet activation influence the structure and the growth of a blood clot. By understanding how clots form, this work will enable the development of treatments that more effectively and safely control the formation of blood clots.
Project details
| Grant amount | £191,575 |
|---|---|
| Grant type | Project Grants |
| Application type | Project Grant |
| Start Date | 01 September 2016 |
| Duration | 3 years |
| Reference | PG/16/36/31967 |
| Status | Complete |
