Researchers have developed synthetic platelets that can be used to stop bleeding and enhance healing at the site of an injury. The researchers have demonstrated that the synthetic platelets work well in animal models but have not yet begun clinical trials in humans.
A number of medical situations require platelet transfusions -- such as cases of severe bleeding, or for patients who are going into surgery or receiving chemotherapy. Currently, patients in any of those situations receive platelets harvested from blood donors, ideally from donors with a compatible blood type. This is challenging, because there is a very limited supply of platelets available, those platelets have a limited shelf life, and the platelets must be stored under controlled conditions.
"Our synthetic platelets are deformable -- meaning they can change shape -- in the same way that normal platelets are," Brown says. In addition to forming a clot within the fibrin network, the synthetic platelets act to contract the clot over time -- just like normal platelets. The researchers then used a mouse model to determine the optimal dose of synthetic platelets necessary to stop bleeding.
"In addition, based on our preliminary estimates, we anticipate that the cost of the synthetic platelets -- if they are approved for clinical use -- would be comparable to the current cost of platelets," Brown says. Brown, Nandi, Lyon and Barker are all co-founders of a start-up company called SelSym Biotech that is focused on developing and marketing synthetic platelets for clinical use. Nellenbach owns stock in SelSym Biotech.
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