Deciphering the development of deep vein thrombosis (DVT)

The role of VWF-dependent platelet ‘priming’ and neutrophil recruitment in DVT

Blood clotting is a vital process that helps our bodies to heal from injury, and prevents us from bleeding to death. However, blood clots in the wrong place at the wrong time can be very dangerous. When they occur in a vein, often in the leg, it can cause deep vein thrombosis (DVT). DVT is a medical emergency because if the clot dislodges, it can travel to the lungs, causing a potentially fatal blockage of the lung’s blood vessel. Dr James Crawley and his team have found a previously unknown way in which the cells involved in blood clotting (called platelets) and a type of immune cells (neutrophils) attach to each other. They believe that this could be an important step in the development of DVT. In this project the team will work to understand how platelets become ‘primed’ to interact with neutrophils, and they’ll examine the importance of these interactions in initiating DVT in mice. They hope that this will help find a way to prevent DVT or protect people from its consequences and complications, which include pain, leg ulcers and blockages in the lungs.