Grant: Operating Grant - Priority Announcement: Blood Utilization and Conservation

During surgery the patient is given blood thinners that stop the blood from clotting when the surgeon cuts a blood vessel or organ. This is required to avoid blood clots from breaking off and getting stuck somewhere in the circulation, causing dangerous events such as a heart attack or stroke. When surgery is being completed it may therefore be hard to stop bleeding from cut surfaces or needle holes so a sealant is required to minimize blood loss. We are proposing to develop a new kind of sealant based on our recent discovery of a universal mechanism for sticking a membrane to surfaces of cells around a site of blood leakage. Once the sealant has done its job of stopping leakage it will gradually degrade and be absorbed by the body. Routine use of such sealants to reduce bleeding would significantly reduce use of donated blood products.