Thrombosis Treatment - Researchers Discover Trigger For Thrombosis Which May Lead To New Treatment

UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have found that individuals suffering thrombosis may one day look forward to therapies that would prevent the condition in the first place. The researchers’ conclusions can be found in an upcoming issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation where new ideas related to the processes of antphospholipid syndrome (APS) are discussed.

“Patients with APS have circulating antibodies that cause exaggerated thrombosis. The longstanding mystery has been how these antibodies initiate the clotting,” said Dr. Philip Shaul, professor of pediatrics and senior co-author of the study.

First tested were the primary effects of APS antibodies on cultured endothelial cells which are located on the lining of blood vessels.

Dr. Shaul commented that the results are very positive for they single out the numerous molecular instances that cause advanced thrombosis.

Another leading researcher on the study, Dr. Chieko Mineo, assistant professor of pediatrics, acknowledged that their conclusions are specifically important to pregnant women known to have APS for they are at a higher risk of miscarriages and premature births.

“Even if a woman with APS does carry to term, the infant is often smaller than normal and can suffer from multiple complications,” Dr. Mineo said. “Our ongoing studies indicate that the mechanisms we have identified that provoke thrombosis are also operative in APS during pregnancy to adversely affect the health of both the mother and the fetus.”