Blood clotting is an important biological process that prevents excessive bleeding when we get injured. Also known as coagulation, it acts as our body's natural defense system by repairing damaged blood vessels. However, there are instances where our body loses a large amount of blood that cannot be controlled anymore by the clotting process. In this scenario, an outside intervention might be needed in synthetic replacement.
Two-Component System in Treating Internal Bleeding
Chemical engineer Celestine Hong from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology led a group of researchers in developing a two-component system composed of a targeting component and a crosslinking component to treating internal hemorrhage. The system targets internal bleeding without leading to any unwanted damage of its own. As reported by NDTV, the developed material can be injected into the body and helps form hemostasis at the location of internal injury.
The first component of the system involves a biocompatible polymer nanoparticle known as PEG-PLGA. It is made to attach to the body's available platelets during injury. The second component is a polymer that replaces fibrinogen and is made to create clumps by reacting with the nanoparticles. As a crosslinker, this component gets the particles that have formed around the wound to bind up together.
Since blood clots can also be dangerous to our health, the particles are made to crosslink at a high enough concentration to prevent them from forming where they should not accumulate. This synthetic process has only been applied to mice and did not show any unwanted reactions in the animal's immune system. The researchers also plan to bring this process to a larger mouse model trial.
Hong and her team reported that their developed process effectively treated blood clotting as part of the natural hemostasis reaction to wounds. The results highlight the importance of a holistic strategy in engineering new treatment options for hemorrhage.
According to chemical engineer Paula Hammond, "What was especially remarkable about these results was the level of recovery from severe injury we saw in the animal studies." She added, "By introducing two complementary systems in sequence, it is possible to get a much stronger clot."
In the future, the researchers hope that the two-component synthetic blood clotting system can help medical professionals identify the location of internal bleeding without using complex or expensive equipment.
READ ALSO: Nanocapsules on Blood Clot Drugs Reduce Side Effects, Increase Efficacy
What Happens When the Blood Clots?
If something injures the delicate blood vessels, blood clots are semi-solid masses in the arteries and veins. After an injury, the platelets immediately start adhering to the damaged part of the blood vessels and release chemicals that can attract more platelets. As the platelet plug is formed, the external bleeding stops.
Small molecules known as clotting factors cause the fibrous, non-globular protein to stick together and close the inside of the wound. After that, the cut blood vessels will eventually heal, and the blood clot dissolves after a few days.
Too little blood clotting can lead to excessive bleeding, even from a minor injury. However, too much clotting is not good because the blood vessels that are not bleeding can get blocked, causing a more serious health problem.
RELATED ARTICLE: Blood Clots More Prevalent in People With This Blood Type
Check out more news and information on Blood Clot in Science Times.