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New insight into the causes of thrombosis
- A major discovery paves the way for future developments in the prevention of thrombosis.
Amsterdam, 15 June 2006. The results of a new study providing insight into the causes of thrombosis are being presented today at the 11th Annual Congress of the European Hematology Association (EHA) in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The study was conducted by the University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU), the Netherlands, in conjunction with the University of Cambridge, UK. The study was successful in identifying the precise location where the von Willebrand-factor protein adheres to collagen – the first step in thrombus formation. This discovery makes it possible to begin developing medication to block platelet adhesion, marking a major step forward in the treatment of thrombosis.
Atherosclerosis, or arterial thrombosis, begins with the inside vessel wall becoming ‘rough’, causing platelets to become stuck, which can, in turn, lead to the formation of blood clots.This is called thrombosis. If thrombosis completely blocks the blood vessel, the downstream tissue no longer receives oxygen, causing an infarction to occur, e.g. in the heart or in the brain. Arterial thrombosis takes place where the blood flows at higher speeds, and where the presence of the von Willebrand-factor is essential for platelet adhesion.
The platelets stick to the damaged vessel walls via an ‘adhesive protein’: the von Willebrand-factor protein, named after its discoverer Erik von Willebrand. This protein forms a bridge between the platelets and the collagen, a key component of the vessel wall which is exposed in damaged vessels. According to Professor P.G. de Groot, researcher at the UMCU. 'Further study may allow us to reduce adhesion of blood platelets to arteriosclerotic blood vessel walls. This could open doors to new treatments allowing us to influence the clinical consequence of arteriosclerosis, i.e. thrombus formation.'
Smoking, high cholesterol, diabetes and high blood pressure all contribute to the development of arterial thrombosis. Many thousands of people die each year of the consequences of a heart attack, stroke or other vascular diseases caused by arterial thrombosis.
11th EHA Congress Amsterdam
The 11th Congress of the European Hematology Association (EHA) which will take place from June 15 to 18 at the RAI Convention Centre in Amsterdamaims to share knowledge and scientific information in the field of hematology among scientific researchers and clinical hematologists within Europe. A number of new studies in the field of hematology will be presented at the congress. The EHA hopes this will contribute to the improvement of diagnosis and treatment of patients with benign and malignant blood diseases.
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Note for the editor:
Founded in June 1992, the European Hematology Association (EHA) is a scientific organization dedicated to supporting research, education and clinical practice in the field of hematology. The EHA currently has more than 2000 active members from 95 countries.
For more information:
For questions about the EHA congress or this study, please contact Petra Stork, Publication and Communication Coordinator EHA. Telephone 06-28401875 or 010-4361760.
E-mail: p.stork@ehaweb.org
If you would like to speak to Professor P.G. de Groot or one of the other researchers, please contact Petra Stork.
For more information on the EHA congress go to http://congress.ehaweb.org/11th
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Last updated on Thursday 15 June 2006.
