Scientists, including an individual of Indian descent, have created a straightforward urine test for the identification of perilous blood clots, known to trigger life-threatening conditions such as strokes and heart attacks. In a recent publication in the ACS Nano journal, lead author Sangeeta N Bhatia, along with PhD candidate Kevin Lin and postdoctoral fellow Gabriel Kwong, outlined the findings of the urine test conducted on laboratory mice.
Blood clots, composed of platelets and fibrin proteins, have the potential to impede blood flow, leading to severe conditions like atherosclerosis and stroke. While blood clots are typically beneficial, forming a plug to halt bleeding after an injury, they can become problematic when unnecessary, as seen in cases like “deep-vein thrombosis” during prolonged flights.
This condition involves the formation of a clot in the leg, obstructing blood flow and causing pain. Moreover, the clot may dislodge and travel to vital organs like the heart or brain, posing life-threatening risks.
Detecting blood clots or thrombosis is challenging, and existing clinical tests are not always dependable. The researchers aimed to devise a straightforward and more reliable method for testing obstructive blood clots. They detailed the development and evaluation of “synthetic biomarkers,” artificially created materials designed to detect physiological changes in the body.
By attaching small protein fragments called peptides to nanomaterials similar to those already approved for clinical use, the researchers injected these minuscule particles into mice—a model for human physiology. If a blood clot was actively forming in the mice, the peptides were cleaved, and the resulting fragments were discerned through a simple urine test.
The researchers concluded that their findings showcase the potential of engineered synthetic biomarkers to remotely sense vascular diseases through urine, offering applications in point-of-care diagnostics.
