How cell attachment proteins change shape and what that means for blood clotting
Official title: Structural Transition of Cellular Integrins and Applications Thereof
Funded at Versiti Blood Health, INC. · NIH-11251765 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how proteins on blood cells change shape to help design safer treatments for blood clots.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Versiti Blood Health, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Milwaukee, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2016 |
| Project end | November 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $781,887 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL131836-10 |
| Project ID | NIH-11251765 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants would be people with a history of abnormal blood clotting or those willing to donate small blood samples, including healthy volunteers and patients on antiplatelet therapy.
✕Less likely to help
People with medical issues unrelated to blood clotting or those seeking immediate new treatments are unlikely to benefit directly from this lab-focused research.
What this research studies
Researchers will study integrins, proteins on cell surfaces that switch between resting and active shapes and control how platelets stick together. They will use lab experiments and structural imaging to map these shape changes and test how clot-preventing drugs interact with them. The work focuses on platelet integrins linked to thrombosis and uses blood-derived proteins and laboratory models to understand activation and deactivation. Findings aim to inform better-targeted antithrombotic medicines with fewer side effects.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to safer, more precise anti-clotting drugs that prevent thrombosis while reducing bleeding risk.
How similar studies have gone: Previous structural studies of integrins and clinical use of RGD-mimetic drugs have provided useful insights, but translating detailed structural knowledge into safer therapies is still an ongoing challenge.
Where this research is happening
-
Versiti Blood Health, INC.
Milwaukee, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zhu, Jieqing — Versiti Blood Health, INC.
- Study coordinator: Zhu, Jieqing
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.