Platelets News and Research

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Link between infections and venous thromboembolism in surgical patients

Despite receiving blood thinners and other clot prevention treatment, some patients still develop potentially lethal blood clots in the first month after their operations anyway, especially if they developed a surgical-site infection while in the hospital, according to results of a study at Johns Hopkins.

16 Jan 2013

Researchers uncover genetic causes of von Willebrand disease

In 2006, the lab of Dr. David Ginsburg at the Life Sciences Institute put a call out for siblings attending the University of Michigan to donate blood for a study of blood-clotting disorders.

10 Jan 2013

CTI initiates enrollment in pacritinib Phase 3 trial for myelofibrosis

Cell Therapeutics, Inc. (CTI) today announced that the Company has initiated clinical trial sites and began enrolling patients in a Phase 3 clinical trial, known as PERSIST-1 or PAC325, for pacritinib, CTI's investigational JAK2 inhibitor, which is being evaluated for the treatment of patients with myelofibrosis.

9 Jan 2013

Researchers use electrokinetic patterning to separate particles and microbes by size

Researchers have demonstrated a new technology that combines a laser and electric fields to create tiny centrifuge-like whirlpools to separate particles and microbes by size, a potential lab-on-a-chip system for medicine and research.

9 Jan 2013

Nanoparticle researcher to deliver inaugural presentation at next ACS national meeting

A noted researcher in nanomedicine ― preventing, diagnosing and treating disease with particles so small that thousands fit across the width of a human hair ― will deliver the inaugural presentation in "The Kavli Foundation Emerging Leader in Chemistry Lecture" at the next National Meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS).

4 Jan 2013

Protein in human blood platelets points to a new weapon against malaria

One of the world's most devastating diseases is malaria, responsible for at least a million deaths annually, despite global efforts to combat it. Researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, working with collaborators from Drexel University, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and Johns Hopkins University, have identified a protein in human blood platelets that points to a powerful new weapon against the disease. Their work was published in this months' issue of Cell Host and Microbe.

28 Dec 2012

Blood transfusion may increase risk of death in heart attack patients with anemia

When heart attack patients present in the emergency department with some degree of anemia, or anemic patients have a heart attack, physicians have a tendency, but not much guidance, about whether to provide a blood transfusion.

25 Dec 2012

Inotuzumab ozogamicin selectively destroys malignant cells responsible for ALL in weekly dosing

A potent chemotherapy agent wrapped within a monoclonal antibody selectively destroys the malignant cells responsible for acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) in either weekly or monthly dosing, researchers report at the 54th ASH Annual Meeting and Exposition.

12 Dec 2012

Study questions value of coated, low-dose aspirin therapy

Roughly one-fifth of Americans take low-dose aspirin every day for heart-healthy benefits. But, based on either urine or blood tests of how aspirin blocks the stickiness of platelets - blood cells that clump together in the first stages of forming harmful clots - up to one third of patients are deemed unlikely to benefit from daily use. Such patients are called "aspirin resistant." Clots are the main cause of most heart attacks and strokes.

6 Dec 2012

New method promises to boost stem cell production in laboratory

A new method for generating stem cells from mature cells promises to boost stem cell production in the laboratory, helping to remove a barrier to regenerative medicine therapies that would replace damaged or unhealthy body tissues.

5 Dec 2012

AstraZeneca receives FDA approval for Cometriq to treat medullary thyroid cancer

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Cometriq (cabozantinib) to treat medullary thyroid cancer that has spread to other parts of the body (metastasized).

29 Nov 2012

Cryoprecipitate plus tranexamic acid boost war injury survival

Administration of cryoprecipitate and tranexamic acid significantly improves the likelihood of survival among seriously injured patients requiring packed red blood cells, suggest results from MATTERS II.

21 Nov 2012

Antibody-coated stents carry increased risk of myocardial infarction and re-operation

If narrowed or blocked coronary vessels have to be widened or opened, a vascular support (stent) is usually inserted. Drug-coated stents are preferred for patients at high risk of renewed narrowing of vessels (restenosis). However, the use of antibody-coated stents has been increasing in recent years. Current studies provide indications that these new antibody-coated stents more frequently lead to myocardial infarction and make re-operation necessary.

15 Nov 2012

Trauma transfusion ratios linked to survival

Transfusion practices significantly predict early inhospital mortality among adult trauma patients, suggests a report published in the Archives of Surgery.

8 Nov 2012

Better understanding of clotting dynamics in atherosclerosis could lead to more effective drugs

The disease atherosclerosis involves the build up of fatty tissue within arterial walls, creating unstable structures known as plaques. These plaques grow until they burst, rupturing the wall and causing the formation of a blood clot within the artery. These clots also grow until they block blood flow; in the case of the coronary artery, this can cause a heart attack.

8 Nov 2012

Cause of heart attacks or strokes may be different in some patients treated with anti-platelet drugs

The cause of heart attacks or strokes among some patients treated with anti-platelet drugs may be different than for patients who have undergone surgical procedures to restore blood flow, according to researchers at Duke Medicine.

7 Nov 2012

Scientists identify group of small molecules that interfere with polyphosphate activity

Scientists have identified a group of small molecules that interfere with the activity of a compound that initiates multiple steps in blood clotting, including those that lead to the obstruction of veins or arteries, a condition called thrombosis. Blocking the activity of this compound, polyphosphate, could treat thrombosis with fewer bleeding side effects than the drugs that are currently on the market.

7 Nov 2012

The App That's Transforming Blood Banking

An interview with Celia Tombalankian, discussing the benefits of automation in blood banking and the development of a new blood banking app.

From Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics, Inc. 29 Oct 2012

Pfizer receives FDA approval for Synribo to treat chronic myelogenous leukemia

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Synribo (omacetaxine mepesuccinate) to treat adults with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), a blood and bone marrow disease.

29 Oct 2012

Study finds decline in inpatient mortality rate for upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage in the U.S.

The number of patients dying from upper gastrointestinal bleeding has decreased over the past two decades, a result researchers attribute to the advances in medical and endoscopic therapies introduced over the past 20 years, according to a report unveiled today at the American College of Gastroenterology's (ACG) 77th Annual Scientific meeting in Las Vegas.

24 Oct 2012