News - Hypertension Week of August 17, 2003/ Vol. 2 No. 33

Study: Clot-Busting tPA Lasts Longer When Tied to Red Blood Cells

The clot-dissolving drug tPA lasts ten times longer in the bloodstream when it is used as a coating on red blood cells and administered this way it is less likely to cause excess bleeding, according to a study reported in the August issue of Nature Biotechnology.

TpA is a clot-dissolving drug commonly used as an emergency treatment for stroke. When given alone, tPA has a short life span in circulation and has the potential to cause serious bleeding as it diffuses out of the bloodstream.

Study author Dr. Vladimir Muzykantov, a University of Pennsylvania professor, called the coated red blood cells a "Trojan-Horse" for sneaking tPA into the bloodstream and dissolving clots from within.

Muzykantov and his colleagues demonstrated in animal models how the marriage of red blood cells and tPA has the potential to safely prevent thrombosis following surgery as well as serve as a therapeutic for victims of heart attack or stoke.

Muzykantov said the coated red-blood cells could provide an ideal way of delivering clot-busting drugs with fewer side effects.

"In theory, patients could donate blood before surgery and receive their own cells bound to tPA following surgery, providing a safer alternative to blood-thinning medication," he added.

Other sources: University of Pennsylvania