Heparin News and Research

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Heparin, a highly-sulfated glycosaminoglycan, is widely used as an injectable anticoagulant, and has the highest negative charge density of any known biological molecule. It can also be used to form an inner anticoagulant surface on various experimental and medical devices such as test tubes and renal dialysis machines. Pharmaceutical grade heparin is derived from mucosal tissues of slaughtered meat animals such as porcine (pig) intestine or bovine (cow) lung.

Low molecular weight heparins inhibit SARS-CoV-2 cell invasion

A recent paper available on the preprint server bioRxiv* reports preliminary data on the ability of low molecular weight heparins to interact with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), elicit structural changes in its key proteins and subsequently halt cell invasion.

3 May 2020

Rice University looks to ‘trap and zap’ SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater

A team of researchers from Rice University has won a National Science Foundation (NSF) RAPID grant to adapt their wastewater nanotechnology project to help trap and inactivate the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), (which causes COVID-19 disease), in wastewater. This could help public health officials deal with the threat of disease transmission through wastewater.

27 Apr 2020

Early Heparin therapy improves hypoxia in COVID-19 patients

The systemic use of heparin for treating severe coronavirus disease (COVID-19) showed significant improvements in oxygen exchange and overall clinical presentation of patients, as reported by a study from Brazil available on a preprint server medRxiv.

26 Apr 2020

New report highlights blood clot dangers in patients with COVID-19

A special report published today in the journal Radiology outlines prevention, diagnosis and treatment of complications stemming from blood clots in patients with COVID-19. The journal also published two research letters and a case study on this topic.

23 Apr 2020

Direct oral anticoagulant more effective in lowering risk of VTE after common orthopedic surgeries

The direct oral anticoagulant rivaroxaban dramatically cut the likelihood of serious venous thromboembolism (VTE) in people recovering from lower limb orthopedic surgery requiring immobilization in comparison with enoxaparin, another anticoagulant agent, according to research presented at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session Together with World Congress of Cardiology.

30 Mar 2020

Oral apixaban as effective as dalteparin for treating blood clots in people with cancer

For people with cancer, the oral blood thinner apixaban is at least as effective as dalteparin, a low molecular weight heparin given by injection, in preventing a repeat venous thromboembolism (VTE), or blood clot, with no excess in major bleeding events, according to Phase 3 trial results presented at the American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session Together with World Congress of Cardiology.

30 Mar 2020

Researchers invent new method to map sugar structures of blood-thinning drug

The blood-thinning drug heparin is used all over the world. But, the underlying sugar structures of heparin and the wider family of heparan sulfate sugars in cells have not been fully mapped.

22 Mar 2020

Researchers show new potential path to improve bone-repair procedures

Researchers are moving closer to a new approach for improving spinal fusion procedures and repairing broken or defective bones that avoids an over-production of bone that commonly occurs in current treatments.

3 Jan 2020

First reported occurrence and treatment of venous thrombosis during spaceflight

Serena Auñón-Chancellor, M.D., M.P.H., Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine's branch campus in Baton Rouge, is the lead author of a paper describing a previously unrecognized risk of spaceflight discovered during a study of astronauts involved in long-duration missions.

2 Jan 2020

Inhibition of a single enzyme may reduce heparin-induced thrombocytopenia

Heparin is widely used as an anticoagulant, but evokes in some patients a potentially life-threatening condition called HIT. Clinical scientists at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet in Munich have now shown that inhibition of a single enzyme may markedly reduce this risk.

21 Dec 2019

Researchers develop spray gel for frostbite injuries

Mountaineers and winter sports enthusiasts know the dangers of frostbite -- the tissue damage that can occur when extremities, such as the nose, ears, fingers and toes, are exposed to very cold temperatures. However, it can be difficult to get treated quickly in remote, snowbound areas.

11 Dec 2019

Ethicon’s VISTASEAL Fibrin Sealant (Human) can help surgeons manage bleeding during surgery

Many patients today are entering the operating room with multiple factors that can cause disruptive bleeding during surgery, which can be challenging to manage and potentially dangerous.

9 Dec 2019

It is okay for women with lupus to get pregnant with proper care, says new study

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease which was historically perceived to confer an unacceptably high risk to both mother and child during pregnancy. As a result, most women with the condition were counseled to avoid pregnancy or to terminate their pregnancy.

10 Jul 2019

Using Light Scattering to Characterize Protein-Nucleic Acid Interactions

Harnessing the interactions between DNA, RNA, and proteins holds much promise for detecting biomarkers, diagnosing disease, and improving cancer-targeting therapeutics. Quantifying these interactions is essential for understanding and controlling their biomolecular mechanisms.

From Waters | Wyatt Technology 26 Jun 2019

New chromatography technique may improve our understanding of retroviral infections

Researchers have devised a two-step chromatography method that can isolate enveloped virus-like particles (VLPs) and extracellular vesicles (EVs) for analysis.

11 Mar 2019

New collaboration aims to prevent life-threatening adverse reactions to medications

The University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix and Banner Health are collaborating to prevent life-threatening adverse reactions to medications.

27 Feb 2019

New biodegradable wound dressing material accelerates healing

A team of scientists from the MISiS National University of Science and Technology with colleagues from the Central European Institute of Technology and other Czech universities have developed a biodegradable material with antibacterial action to use as a dressing on damaged skin.

17 Jan 2019

Beckman Coulter launches new ClearLLab 10C System for clinical flow cytometry lab

Beckman Coulter launches the ClearLLab 10C System - the first 10-colour CE-IVD panels of immunophenotyping reagents for lymphoid and myeloid lineages.

From Beckman Coulter Life Sciences - Flow Cytometry 17 Jan 2019

Researchers find new way to reduce bleeding in patients after bariatric surgery

Rutgers researchers have found a way to reduce bleeding in patients following bariatric surgery.

9 Jan 2019

Scientists cast new light on function of long-mysterious PCSK9 mutation

High levels of low-density lipoproteins, parcels of lipids and protein that carry cholesterol, are a leading risk factor for heart disease. Many cholesterol medications lower LDL, some of them by targeting the protein PCSK9. In the January issue of the Journal of Lipid Research, scientists at the University of California, San Francisco, report on an investigation into why experiments on PCSK9 give different results in a test tube and in liver cells.

2 Jan 2019