When given this assignment last week, my mind immediately jumped to blood clots. This past summer I was doing some research in a vascular and hematology lab, and one of the projects was looking at platelet receptors to determine if there was a possibility of stopping blood clots . Since I left the lab, that idea has consistently been on my mind. I've wanted to do more research about what is available now to stop blood clots and what types of mutations are available, but have been to lazy and busy to do it. Now, I can.
Initial Research: Blood cells (platelets) are required to repair a damaged blood vessel. They adhere to the site of vascular injury and connect to each other, forming a clot. While this action of platelet clotting is important for maintenance of our bodies, if a clot forms in the wrong location at the wrong time (i.e. in a heart artery) a heart attack or a stroke could occur. The idea is to stop blood clots from being created.
What is a blood clot? "Blood clotting, or coagulation, is an important process that prevents excessive bleeding when a blood vessel is injured." (http://www.bloodthevitalconnection.org/for-patients/blood-clots/Default.aspx.a
spx) On a general level, the blood cells come together and attach to one another, creating a thrombus. At a closer level, it becomes evident that receptors on the
platelet membrane become activated in the presence of fibrinogen and bind to the soluble glycoprotien, creating a web-like structure. This thrombus becomes so close together that it forms a wall like structure, not allowing anything to pass in or out of the blood vessel. It keeps the temperature, concentrations and materials of the blood vessel in the body. A scab can form on the outer layer of skin from the dried blood of the injury. This is another layer of protection.
Initial Research: Blood cells (platelets) are required to repair a damaged blood vessel. They adhere to the site of vascular injury and connect to each other, forming a clot. While this action of platelet clotting is important for maintenance of our bodies, if a clot forms in the wrong location at the wrong time (i.e. in a heart artery) a heart attack or a stroke could occur. The idea is to stop blood clots from being created.
What is a blood clot? "Blood clotting, or coagulation, is an important process that prevents excessive bleeding when a blood vessel is injured." (http://www.bloodthevitalconnection.org/for-patients/blood-clots/Default.aspx.a
spx) On a general level, the blood cells come together and attach to one another, creating a thrombus. At a closer level, it becomes evident that receptors on the platelet membrane become activated in the presence of fibrinogen and bind to the soluble glycoprotien, creating a web-like structure. This thrombus becomes so close together that it forms a wall like structure, not allowing anything to pass in or out of the blood vessel. It keeps the temperature, concentrations and materials of the blood vessel in the body. A scab can form on the outer layer of skin from the dried blood of the injury. This is another layer of protection.However you cant just stop blood clots from being created because they are also beneficial. So whatever action you do to stop them form forming must have an opposite counter action to allow the platelets to aggregate. This is where the tricky part comes in.
While doing some reading, I came across the idea of blood thinners as a cure. There are many varieties out there (a small list-http://stroke.about.com/od/caregiverresources/a/blood_thinners.htm) and they generally work along the idea that thinning your blood keeps the platelets further from each other so that they don't clot. Before you go into major surgery, you stop taking the blood thinner so that you can clot normally and heal your injury. There are side effects to blood thinners, such as kidney issues, stomach ulcers and breathing issues, to make a few. So blood thinners are not the answer for everyone.
What I would now like to do is investigate another way of stopping platelet aggregation. Is there a machine? Is there another internal method?
While doing some reading, I came across the idea of blood thinners as a cure. There are many varieties out there (a small list-http://stroke.about.com/od/caregiverresources/a/blood_thinners.htm) and they generally work along the idea that thinning your blood keeps the platelets further from each other so that they don't clot. Before you go into major surgery, you stop taking the blood thinner so that you can clot normally and heal your injury. There are side effects to blood thinners, such as kidney issues, stomach ulcers and breathing issues, to make a few. So blood thinners are not the answer for everyone.
What I would now like to do is investigate another way of stopping platelet aggregation. Is there a machine? Is there another internal method?
Whoaaaaa, I'm doing my research on strokes! Kind of similar to blood clots in a sense. Cool story, right?
ReplyDelete