Finding a new target to prevent the formation of dangerous blood clots

Thrombospondin-1 modulates haemostasis and thrombosis through regulation of the cAMP signalling pathway

Anti-platelet drugs are prescribed to many thousands of people in the UK with coronary heart disease, angina, heart failure or heart valve disease. They interfere with small blood cells called platelets, which help the blood to clot, reducing the chance of a clot called a thrombus forming in the arteries serving the heart or brain, and preventing heart attacks and strokes. However, current drugs which tackle the formation of dangerous blood clots are not always effective in patients, and can cause side effects. Professor Khalid Naseem’s team from the University of Hull are investigating an important part of the process of blood clotting. A protein called prostacyclin, which is released by the cells lining the inside of our blood vessels, plays an important part in stopping platelets from becoming too sticky. However, the researchers have recently discovered that another protein, called thrombospondin-1, can disrupt the action of prostacyclin. In this project, they will look in mice to see whether tackling thrombospondin-1 could be a promising way of preventing the formation of dangerous blood clots. Their discoveries could help lead to new anti-clotting treatments in the future.