Blood Clots and a Surprising Find
'SURPRISING FIND WITH BLOOD PLATELETS OPENS AVENUES FOR DEVELOPING ANTI-CLOT DRUGS' shows how an unexpected discovery can lead to the search for drugs that could remedy a serious medical problem.
An important finding related to blood clotting, alluded to in the linked article, may lead to the development of medications that prevent damaging blood clots and the strokes and heart attacks they can induce. This possibility results from knowledge acquired about the synthesis of tissue factor by human blood platelets as well as the regulatory activity of an enzyme known as Clk1. Tissue factor is essential to blood clotting so any drugs that disrupt its synthesis have potential medical benefits.
The Clk1 enzyme uses a splicing process to regulate tissue factor. Biochemical reactions involving the enzyme are referred to as the Clk1 pathway. Splicing involves this pathway and the transformation of pre-messenger RNA to its mature form. As the article states: "mature RNA is subsequently used to make biologically functional tissue factor protein that forms clots."
What goes wrong when blood clots form at the wrong times and in the wrong places? Clk1 is a prime suspect. If pre-messenger RNA is spliced at the wrong time the resultant synthesis of tissue factor can cause clots. If the clot has already formed it can be too late to reverse its effects but a drug that targets the Clk1 pathway offers the possibility of preventing harmful clots.
An important finding related to blood clotting, alluded to in the linked article, may lead to the development of medications that prevent damaging blood clots and the strokes and heart attacks they can induce. This possibility results from knowledge acquired about the synthesis of tissue factor by human blood platelets as well as the regulatory activity of an enzyme known as Clk1. Tissue factor is essential to blood clotting so any drugs that disrupt its synthesis have potential medical benefits.
The Clk1 enzyme uses a splicing process to regulate tissue factor. Biochemical reactions involving the enzyme are referred to as the Clk1 pathway. Splicing involves this pathway and the transformation of pre-messenger RNA to its mature form. As the article states: "mature RNA is subsequently used to make biologically functional tissue factor protein that forms clots."
What goes wrong when blood clots form at the wrong times and in the wrong places? Clk1 is a prime suspect. If pre-messenger RNA is spliced at the wrong time the resultant synthesis of tissue factor can cause clots. If the clot has already formed it can be too late to reverse its effects but a drug that targets the Clk1 pathway offers the possibility of preventing harmful clots.
posted by Paul at 7:51 AM
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