Structure and function study of TFPI protein

Structural basis of TFPlα and TFPlβ cell surface activities

The circulatory system contains different types of protein which work together to control blood clotting, helping a plug to form to stop bleeding at the site of an injury. Although clotting is an important response to injury, it can also be dangerous – such as during a heart attack, when a blood clot in an artery starves the heart of oxygen. More research is needed to understand the factors that control blood clotting so that their damaging activity can be controlled. Professor Michael Laffan’s team from Imperial College London will investigate a protein in the circulatory system called tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) which is important in preventing blood from clotting too easily. The team is particularly interested in TFPI because it exists in two forms, either circulating in the blood or attached to cells, including cells lining the blood vessels. TFPI might behave differently depending on which form it is in, so understanding more about its behaviour may lead to new ways to enhance its anti-clotting effect, providing clues about how dangerous blood clotting could be reduced.