http://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/nn403550c
Current blood clot tests are very indirect. MIT’s Sangeeta Bhatia has developed a diagnostic based on technology first reported to detect colorectal cancer.
The system consists of iron oxide nanoparticles, FDA approved for human use, coated with specialized peptides that interact with thrombin. After being injected into mice, the nanoparticles travel throughout the body. When the particles encounter thrombin, the thrombin cleaves the peptides at a specific location, releasing fragments that are then excreted in the animals’ urine. The protein fragments can be identified in collected urine by treating the sample with antibodies specific to peptide tags included in the fragments. The amount of these tags found in the urine is directly proportional to the level of blood clotting in the mice’s lungs.
Other applications for the nanoparticle system could include monitoring and diagnosing cancer and tracking liver, pulmonary, and kidney fibrosis.
Leave a Reply