Novel, Safer and More Effective Drug to Prevent Blood Clots

Highlights:

Researchers have developed a new drug, MPI 8, that could prevent blood clots without increasing the risk of bleeding, a major side effect of existing blood thinners
The drug targets polyphosphate, a chemical involved in blood clotting that speeds up the process but is not required for it
Early tests in mice have shown promising results, and the design platform used to create MPI 8 is flexible, potentially allowing for the development of additional compounds with similar properties and efficacy

Researchers at UBC and the University of Michigan have made a groundbreaking discovery, published in Nature Communications, that could revolutionize the development of safer and more effective blood thinners.

Blood Clots - Causes Symptoms Diagnosis Treatment Prevention
An abnormal blood clot forms when there is damage to the lining of an artery or stagnation of blood in a vein; it obstructs the normal circulation of blood. A clot can form even in the absence of a cut.

‘Researchers have discovered a groundbreaking drug, MPI 8, which has the potential to prevent blood clots without increasing bleeding risks! The design platform used to create MPI 8 is flexible, making it easier to develop additional compounds with similar efficacy. #BloodClotPrevention #SaferMedicine’

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MPI 8: Unleashing a New Era of Blood Clot Prevention

The researchers created a new drug called MPI 8 by combining their expertise in blood clotting systems and chemical synthesis. This compound has the potential to prevent blood clots without increasing the risk of bleeding, which is a major side effect of existing blood thinners. More research is needed to confirm MPI 8's safety and efficacy in humans, but preliminary findings offer hope for a new era in blood clot prevention and thrombosis treatment, as well as a testament to the power of collaboration in research medicine.

Common Side Effects of Anticoagulants | Blood Thinners
The main side effect of anticoagulants or blood thinners is bleeding. Others include reduced platelet counts, allergic reactions and skin necrosis.

Blood Clots and the Need for Safer and More Effective Blood Thinners

Blood clots are a severe health issue that affects millions of individuals worldwide. They can lead to life-threatening conditions such as deep vein thrombosis, heart attack, pulmonary embolism, and stroke if left untreated. Blood thinners, also known as anticoagulants or antithrombotic medicines, are necessary for the treatment and prevention of blood clots but come with a high risk of bleeding. This can lead to problems and limit their effectiveness in some patients.

Pulmonary Embolism and Deep Vein Thrombosis / Venous Thromboembolism
Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a condition where blood clots develop usually in the deep veins of the legs. Pulmonary embolism (PE) occurs when these clots break away and block the pulmonary artery.

Limitations of Traditional Blood Thinners and Their Impact on Clotting

Existing blood thinners, such as heparin, direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs), and warfarin, act by inhibiting enzymes required for blood coagulation. They must, however, be carefully dosed and monitored because inhibiting those enzymes jeopardizes the normal clotting process essential to repair wounds.

Television Binge-Watching May Boost the Risk of Deadly Blood Clots
Watching television may cause blood clots even if you are physically active due to the pooling of blood in the extremities.

Targeting Polyphosphate: The Novel Approach to Inhibiting Blood Clots

Instead, UBC and Michigan researchers used a new way to target polyphosphate, a chemical involved in blood clotting that speeds up the process but is not required for it. "Our thought was that polyphosphate might be a safer target to go after with an antithrombotic drug because it would just slow these clotting reactions down-; even if we take out 100 per cent of the action of the polyphosphate," said Dr. Jim Morrissey, a professor of biological chemistry and internal medicine at the University of Michigan whose work has illuminated the role of polyphosphate in blood clotting. "We had to come up with an extremely novel way to target it compared to the usual drugs that target clotting, and that's where the expertise of Dr. Kizhakkedathu's lab became so important."

Smart Drug for a Smart Target: How MPI 8 Works for Anticoagulation

The Kizhakkedathu lab zoomed in on MPI 8 after creating a library of candidate compounds and screening them for the needed parameters. This one-of-a-kind molecule has "smart" binding groups with positive charges that are pulled to the negative charge of polyphosphate. It will attach to and inhibit polyphosphate while leaving the body's other negatively charged cells and proteins alone, so avoiding hazardous side effects.

MPI 8 revealed significant efficiency in avoiding blood clots in mice without raising bleeding risk in early tests. Even at large doses, the medication showed no evidence of harm.

Flexible Design Platform for the Development of Novel Anticoagulants

"Not only does the drug show promise as a safer and more effective option for patients, but the design platform we used to create MPI 8 is flexible, potentially allowing for the development of additional compounds with similar properties and efficacy," said Dr. Chanel La, who worked on the project as a chemistry PhD student in the Kizhakkedathu lab. "Assuming our work continues to produce positive results, I would be very excited to get MPI 8 into an approved clinical trial and bring this drug closer to becoming a reality for patients in need."

Source-Medindia