Functional and signaling events in human platelets [COVID-19]
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Functional and signalling events in human platelets
IRAS ID
283543
Contact name
Ingeborg Hers
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Bristol
Duration of Study in the UK
12 years, 1 months, 19 days
Research summary
Platelets are small blood cells that are an essential element in the primary haemostatic system. They are able to respond to a wide range of agonists and when activated at the site of blood vessel injury they rapidly aggregate to form a platelet haemostatic plug. Platelets are therefore of central importance in maintaining the physiological integrity of the vascular system but also play a major role in the pathological development of thrombosis. Some diseases are associated with increased risk of thrombosis, including diabetes, obesity, myeloproliferative disorders and certain viral infections. The latter includes SARS-Cov-2, the corona virus that causes the present Covid-19 pandemic. Indeed key central features in severely affected Covid-19 patients are venous and arterial thrombosis, with microthrombi formation contributing to respiratory distress, venous thromboembolism, multiple organ failure and ultimately death. It is therefore vital that we better understand their mechanisms of activation so as to understand the process of thrombosis and develop improved treatment regimes and drugs to prevent thrombosis in these disease situations. To do this, we will isolate platelets from blood donated by healthy donors. These platelets will be incubated in vitro to understand the mediators and signalling pathways that are involved in platelet function and thrombosis and will include experiments investigating whether SARS-Cov-2 directly affects platelets. We will also include blood samples obtained from patients with suspected platelet dysfunction or thrombotic issues, the latter including patients with Covid-19, or those recovering from or having recovered from the disease. Comparing how platelets behave and interact with other cell types in healthy and diseased individuals will increase our understanding of the underlying causes and guide present and future antithrombotic and treatment regimes.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
REC name
South Central - Hampshire A Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
20/SC/0222
Date of REC Opinion
18 May 2020
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion