Andras Gruber

Equity Interest - Non-publicly traded entity ( e.g., stock, stock option, or other ownership interest)

Characterization of Coagulation Factor-platelet Interactions: Role of FXI

Project Narrative Our work has pioneered efforts to establish the blood proteins factor XI and XII as novel drug targets to prevent or treat blood clots and reduce inflammation, with limited or no risk of treatment-associated bleeding. Arteriosclerosis narrows arterial blood vessels and can induce blood clots that cause stroke and heart attack and has been associated with chronic blood vessel inflammation, while inherited factor XI deficiency reduces cardiovascular events. We propose that factors XI and XII may be complicit in cardiovascular disease that remains the leading cause of mortality in the country. This project will evaluate whether and how these two proteins contribute to experimental atherosclerosis and inflammation, and determine whether pharmacological inhibition of factors XI or XII could have the potential to slow the progression of atherosclerosis-associated ischemic cardiovascular diseases.