How sugar tags help the body remove old platelets
Official title: Carbohydrate-Mediated Platelet Clearance
Funded at Versiti Blood Health, INC. · NIH-11378270 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how sugar markers on platelets tell the liver to clear old platelets and how that signaling affects platelet and red blood cell production.
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 | February 1, 2023 |
| Project end | January 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $506,878 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL089224-18 |
| Project ID | NIH-11378270 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with unexplained low platelets (thrombocytopenia), unexplained anemia, or those willing to donate blood or bone marrow samples for research would be appropriate candidates.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose blood problems are due to clearly identified genetic defects unrelated to platelet clearance or to non-blood illnesses may not directly benefit from this research.
What this research studies
From my point of view as a patient, the team is studying a liver receptor (the Ashwell-Morell receptor) that recognizes sugar patterns on aging platelets and triggers signals that control a hormone called thrombopoietin which helps make platelets. They will also study how this liver signaling changes levels of a protein called Neuregulin 4 (Nrg4) that can affect bone marrow stromal cells and red blood cell formation. The researchers use a mix of genetic data, lab models, and cell studies to trace how altered Nrg4/ErbB4 signaling may cause defective erythropoiesis and increases in inflammatory S100 proteins. The goal is to map the chain of events from platelet clearance to blood cell production so scientists can spot targets for future therapies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to treat platelet disorders or some causes of anemia by targeting platelet clearance or the Nrg4/ErbB4 pathway.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies have shown the Ashwell-Morell receptor links platelet clearance to thrombopoietin production, while the role of Nrg4/ErbB4 in regulating erythropoiesis is a newer finding that this work builds on.
Where this research is happening
-
Versiti Blood Health, INC.
Milwaukee, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hoffmeister, Karin Maria — Versiti Blood Health, INC.
- Study coordinator: Hoffmeister, Karin Maria
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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.