Subscribe free to our newsletters via your
. Solar Energy News .




INTERN DAILY
From surgery to laboratory and back again
by Staff Writers
York, UK (SPX) Feb 20, 2014


File image

A University of York scientist's experience in seeing his partner in hospital recovering from a double lung transplant prompted him to design and synthesise new chemical agents that could revolutionise post-operative patient care.

Professor Dave Smith, of the University's Department of Chemistry, led an international team which developed the agents that bind and potentially remove the anti-coagulant heparin.

Professor Smith says: 'I was sitting at my husband Sam's bedside while he recovered from a double lung transplant when the idea first came to me. I spent a long time talking to surgeons about all the drugs they used, and some of the problems they caused, and as I sat there, looking at all the tubes, I realised that perhaps my research team could help."

One of the drugs used during major surgery is heparin which helps to prevent the blood from clotting. Once the patient is in recovery, however, the surgeons want clotting to resume to aid the healing process. To do this they use a 'heparin rescue agent', called protamine, to remove heparin from the patient's bloodstream.

But in some cases, this can cause side effects such as patients going into anaphylactic shock. As a result, doctors must use protamine cautiously, which can lead to inefficient clotting.

"I realised that my research group had developed expertise which could lead to chemical agents to bind, and perhaps remove the heparin. These chemical agents can be carefully designed to minimise side effects and so improve patient care," Professor Smith says.

He designs small drug-like molecules, which assemble spontaneously into larger nanostructures in order to bind the heparin using multivalent (many-bonds) interactions. In the latest research, published in Chemical Science, Professor Smith and his team, which includes researchers from University of Liverpool, University of Trieste, and Freie Universitat Berlin demonstrate that this approach works in vitro in human plasma, reversing the effect of heparin and allowing clotting to begin.

Importantly, the system is biodegradable unless bound to heparin, with the molecules slowly breaking down, leading to nanostructure disassembly and inactivation. This means that, in principle, plenty of this compound could be used, because any excess will be less likely to cause side effects.

Professor Smith adds: "This could revolutionise the way in which surgeons reverse the effects of heparin once surgery is complete. I call this 'self-assembled multivalent' approach to medicine as 'SAMul' nanomedicine - in honour of Sam who gave me the initial inspiration."

The next stages of the research will involve further optimisation of the agents to maximise their binding and further minimise their toxicity prior to in vivo testing and eventual clinical trials.

.


Related Links
University of York
Hospital and Medical News at InternDaily.com






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle








INTERN DAILY
Medicine goes mobile with smartphone apps, devices
Washington (AFP) Feb 19, 2014
Thanks to smartphones, email, video games and photo sharing are available at the touch of a finger. But attach a special case and that same phone can produce an electrocardiogram (EKG) from the electrical impulses in your hand and send it to a doctor. "It's a neat little device," says E.B. Fox, who uses a heart monitor and app from AliveCor to keep track of his arrhythmia. The 57-y ... read more


INTERN DAILY
UK failing to harness its bioenergy potential

Sustainable use of energy wood resources shows potential in North-West Russia

Italian farmers hail coming of biomethane production incentives

Plastic shopping bags make a fine diesel fuel

INTERN DAILY
Making nanoelectronics last longer for medical devices, 'cyborgs'

Robotic fish aids understanding of how animals move

Busy Week of Imaging and Robotic Arm Studies

What to expect from Dyson's new robotics lab

INTERN DAILY
New research blows away claims that aging wind farms are a bad investment

Oil-rich Brazil aims high with wind-power targets

Britain wind farm proposal scaled back in face of opposition

Climate risk from wind farms is minimal: study

INTERN DAILY
Hard-hit Peugeot wins new lease on life in Dongfeng tie-up

Will Plug-in Cars Crash the Electric Grid?

Long road to Europe for Dongfeng despite Peugeot deal: analysts

World's largest EV fast charger network in China

INTERN DAILY
Study on Methane Emissions from Natural Gas Systems Indicates New Priorities

Iraq oil exports down in January: ministry

India moves ahead in forming coal regulator

Wildlife group says China can still prosper with reduced coal use

INTERN DAILY
Georgia nuclear plant gets federal loan guarantees

Iran seeks new Russia reactor in exchange for oil

Fukushima should eye 'controlled discharges' in sea: IAEA

Japan to abandon troubled fast breeder reactor: report

INTERN DAILY
US Supreme Court to weigh emissions rule

French 'red caps' clash with police in protest over eco-tax

Obama calls for new truck fuel standards

Amidst bitter cold and rising energy costs, new concerns about energy insecurity

INTERN DAILY
Google-backed database steps up fight on deforestation

How global forest-destroyers are turning over a new leaf

Biodiversity in production forests can be improved without large costs

Controversial Malaysian state boss to resign




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2014 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement All images and articles appearing on Space Media Network have been edited or digitally altered in some way. Any requests to remove copyright material will be acted upon in a timely and appropriate manner. Any attempt to extort money from Space Media Network will be ignored and reported to Australian Law Enforcement Agencies as a potential case of financial fraud involving the use of a telephonic carriage device or postal service.