Unravelling the complexities of blood clotting that causes heart attacks and strokes

Role of sharpin in platelet integrin αIIbβ3and α2β1regulation and thrombus formation

Coronary heart disease is caused by a process called atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis occurs when fatty plaques build up inside artery walls. If a plaque breaks off it may cause a blood clot in arteries supplying the heart or brain, a heart attack or stroke then occurs. Understanding how these blood clots develop will help researchers develop new medicines to manage blood clotting or treat heart disease. Platelets are small circulating particles in the blood that help blood to clot after an injury and prevent excessive bleeding. But they also play an important role in forming blood clots in arteries, which can lead to heart attacks and strokes. For platelets to clump together and form a blood clot, they must become ‘activated’ – a process which involves proteins on the surface of platelets called integrins. Scientists recently found that a protein called sharpin may also play a part in this process. Dr Ingeborg Hers and colleagues have been awarded a grant to study sharpin and improve our understanding of its role in clotting and heart disease.