Investigating Novel Platelet Mechanotransduction Mechanisms as Potential Antithrombotic Targets

Heart attacks and strokes are most often caused by blood clots. Current treatments to prevent these life-threatening clots are ineffective in certain patients, but the reasons for this are largely unknown. The mechanical forces of blood flow affect how and when blood cells form clots, but what triggers this is poorly understood. This thesis identified how these blood cells sense and respond to blood flow changes and discovered a unique “force sensor” that may be targeted for therapeutic benefit. This newly-discovered mechanism may lead to drugs that specifically prevent blood clotting triggered by particular conditions, such as diseased blood vessels or heart devices.