The platelet is a small but mighty cell in the blood that is essential for forming blood clots, such as to prevent excessive bleeding. However, in diseases such as heart attacks or stroke, the platelets can contribute to the problem by forming clots in life-threatening locations. Traditional treatments for these diseases rely on reducing the function of platelets, but these can result in potentially fatal bleeding complications.
More recently, treatments targeting the function of proteins inside the platelets, have been proposed as a newer way of treating heart attacks and stroke. It is thought preventing the function of these proteins (“platelet endoplasmic reticulum proteins”), may reduce the risk of bleeding side-effects. However, it is difficult to predict the side-effects of such treatments in humans based on studies in the laboratory in the petri dish.
We aim to see whether natural reduction in the function of these proteins, resulting from variations in the DNA between individuals, results in protection against heart attacks or strokes. To do this, we will analyse the DNA, blood and health data from people enrolled in the UK biobank, and to see if there are any links between the DNA level changes and health. It is anticipated this project will take up to 36 months to complete, as we would like to confirm the results with a separate biobank based in Australia.
We hope this research will identify new targets to prevent and treat heart attacks and strokes. Currently, approximately 7.6 million and 1.2 million people are living with heart or circulation-related diseases in the UK and Australia. Approximately 1 in 30 people suffer a serious bleeding event after a heart attack (Graipe et al, 2021), as a result of our current treatments. This means there is a crucial need to identify new and safer targets for these diseases.