Description:
Since the 1940’s, antithrombotic agents, specifically anticoagulants and antiplatelet drugs, have been successfully used to treat and prevent thrombosis. The impact of these medications cannot be overstated, as these drugs have definitively been shown to reduce the risk and incidence of heart attacks, strokes, and deep venous thrombosis while also enabling life-saving procedures such as dialysis and heart-lung bypass. Unfortunately, a significant adverse effect common to all of these agents is their increased risk of potentially life-threatening bleeding, which can be dose-limiting and even contraindicated in some patients who need these medications the most. However, recent research investigating the intrinsic (contact) pathway of the coagulation cascade as well as groundbreaking work on platelet, leukocyte, and vascular biology are pointing towards the possibilities of new therapeutic targets for thrombosis that do not cause bleeding. This session will bring together key researchers who are pioneering this field to discuss how close we are to achieving this “holy grail” in antithrombotic therapy. 

Dr. Helen Phillipou will discuss activated Factor XII (FXIIa) as a target for a next generation anticoagulant and will cover why it is anticipated that inhibition of FXIIa will yield anticoagulant efficacy with minimal risk of inducing bleeding side effects. 

Dr. Cristina Puy will describe the current and state-of-the-art knowledge of Factor XI (FXI)’s interaction with various ligands, substrates, and cell receptors that may help develop new therapeutic agents against FXI to prevent thrombosis without causing bleeding. 

Dr. Elliot Chaikof will discuss how inhibitors of P-selectin can target thrombosis via novel mechanisms that are not leveraged with traditional antithrombotic therapy and will review the basic and translational science of these novel agents.