{"675142":{"#nid":"675142","#data":{"type":"news","title":"  Novel Use of Existing Drug Could Significantly Cut Heart Attack Risk","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EHeart attacks have been the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/newsroom.heart.org\/news\/more-than-half-of-u-s-adults-dont-know-heart-disease-is-leading-cause-of-death-despite-100-year-reign#:~:text=According%20to%20the%202024%20Heart,the%20U.S.%20for%20100%20years.\u0022\u003Eleading\u003C\/a\u003E cause of death in the U.S. for a century. While most treatments for cardiac events target breaking down blood clots, Georgia Tech researchers have found a way to prevent blood clots from even forming. Dramatically, their drug is shown to completely knock out the formation of blood clots without increasing the risks of bleeds \u003Cem\u003Ein vivo\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis drug is both affordable and already widely available for other uses, meaning patients could experience these benefits sooner than waiting for a completely new drug to go through FDA approval. Eventually, the drug could be used to prevent second heart attacks for high-risk patients or even primary heart attacks, strokes, and other complications caused by blood clots.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers presented their findings in the paper, \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/38126172\/\u0022\u003EN-Acetyl Cysteine Prevents Arterial Thrombosis in a Dose-Dependent Manner In Vitro and in Mice\u003C\/a\u003E,\u201d in \u003Cem\u003EArteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology\u003C\/em\u003E in April.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow Blood Clots Form\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMost existing preventive treatments for clots involve anti-platelet drugs that can cause bad side effects for the patient.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cDoctors are between a rock and a hard place \u2014 we can give you a drug that may help prevent a second cardiac event, but it might also cause a lot of bleeding,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/ku\u0022\u003EDavid Ku\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;Lawrence P. Huang Endowed Chair for Engineering Entrepreneurship and Regents\u0027 Professor in the\u003Cem\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E (ME). \u201cThese blood clots are held together by a protein called von Willebrand factor (VWF), which is a different target for drugs.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EVWF is a long protein, occurring naturally in plasma, that allows blood clots to form quickly.\u0026nbsp; Under normal conditions, it functions like an inert ball of yarn, but when VWF unravels, it becomes sticky and catches platelets.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u201cThe VWF grabs platelets and the platelets activate, so they release more VWF, which grabs more platelets, creating a positive feedback loop that leads to really fast clot formation,\u201d explained Christopher Bresette, an ME postdoctoral researcher.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBreaking Down Blood Clots\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBresette and Ku sought to break down VWF proteins using a drug already on the market, \u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EN-\u003C\/strong\u003Eacetyl cysteine\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;(\u003Cem\u003ENAC\u003C\/em\u003E), typically used\u0026nbsp;to treat acetaminophen overdose. Earlier researchers had tried using NAC to break down clots after formation, but Ku\u2019s team wanted to stop clots before they even started.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe chose NAC because of its current clinical use and safety history,\u201d Bresette said. \u201cUsing an existing drug for off-label use can speed up the time it takes to start helping patients.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/bio\u0022\u003EPetit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/a\u003E, the researchers ran blood through a small channel similar to a narrowing artery that could lead to a heart attack or stroke. NAC completely prevented a clot from forming under these conditions. Next, they tested NAC in a mouse model and found comparable results. Even better, NAC\u2019s benefits lasted six hours after it left the bloodstream, keeping arteries clear for longer.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers envision the drug will be most useful if a patient has already had a heart attack but is at risk of having a second one soon after. An IV injection of NAC could lower immediate risk. Eventually, NAC derivatives could be administered orally as a daily pill to reduce heart attack risk.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHeart attacks and strokes are just the beginning. From stopping embolisms to other blockages, the future with NAC is only just beginning. The researchers are hoping to conduct a clinical trial and receive FDA approval so NAC can help patients as soon as possible.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"full_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EHeart attacks have been the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/newsroom.heart.org\/news\/more-than-half-of-u-s-adults-dont-know-heart-disease-is-leading-cause-of-death-despite-100-year-reign#:~:text=According%20to%20the%202024%20Heart,the%20U.S.%20for%20100%20years.\u0022\u003Eleading\u003C\/a\u003E cause of death in the U.S. for a century. While most treatments for cardiac events target breaking down blood clots, Georgia Tech researchers have found a way to prevent blood clots from even forming. Dramatically, their drug is shown to completely knock out the formation of blood clots without increasing the risks of bleeds \u003Cem\u003Ein vivo\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"While most treatments for cardiac events target breaking down blood clots, Georgia Tech researchers have found a way to prevent blood clots from even forming. "}],"uid":"34541","created_gmt":"2024-06-18 17:28:03","changed_gmt":"2024-06-25 13:49:22","author":"Tess Malone","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2024-06-18T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2024-06-18T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"674209":{"id":"674209","type":"image","title":"Chris Bresette lab","body":"\u003Cp\u003EChristopher Bresette in the lab. [Photo by Rob Felt.]\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1718731750","gmt_created":"2024-06-18 17:29:10","changed":"1718731750","gmt_changed":"2024-06-18 17:29:10","alt":"Chris Bresette in the lab","file":{"fid":"257694","name":"24-R10400-P64-001.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/06\/18\/24-R10400-P64-001.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/06\/18\/24-R10400-P64-001.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1888807,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/06\/18\/24-R10400-P64-001.jpg?itok=9W4_g882"}},"674211":{"id":"674211","type":"image","title":"24-R10400-P64-003.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EThe blood comes in from the top and splits into four channels that can be observed separately. The middle region is where the channel narrows to mimic an atherosclerotic plaque. [Photo by Rob Felt]\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1718731824","gmt_created":"2024-06-18 17:30:24","changed":"1718731824","gmt_changed":"2024-06-18 17:30:24","alt":"The microfluidic device the researchers use to quantify clot formation. ","file":{"fid":"257695","name":"24-R10400-P64-003.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/06\/18\/24-R10400-P64-003.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/06\/18\/24-R10400-P64-003.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2889930,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/06\/18\/24-R10400-P64-003.jpg?itok=jzVj7oE9"}}},"media_ids":["674209","674211"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETess Malone, Senior Research Writer\/Editor\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:tess.malone@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Etess.malone@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}