Preventing blood clots by lowering fibrinogen or blocking fibrin clot formation
Official title: Novel mechanisms to limit thrombosis by decreasing fibrinogen or suppressing fibrin matrix formation
Funded at Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill · NIH-11321525 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are trying to reduce dangerous arterial and venous blood clots in people at risk by lowering the blood protein fibrinogen or preventing dense fibrin networks that make clots hard to break down.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chapel Hill, United States) |
| Project start | February 15, 2024 |
| Project end | January 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $705,836 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL168009-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11321525 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be people at high risk for thrombosis—such as those with prior clots, high fibrinogen levels, chronic inflammation, or genetic clotting tendencies—if and when human studies are offered.
✕Less likely to help
People with existing bleeding disorders or very low fibrinogen (for example afibrinogenemia) or those not at risk for clotting may not benefit and could be harmed.
What this research studies
This project uses newly developed lipid nanoparticles and related methods in lab and animal experiments to lower circulating fibrinogen or directly suppress formation of dense fibrin matrices. The team will examine how these changes produce looser, more porous clots that are easier for the body to dissolve while checking that normal bleeding control remains intact. Experiments include detailed clot-structure analysis, blood testing, and thrombosis models that mimic heart attack, stroke, and deep vein clots. The overall goal is therapies that reduce clot risk across different causes of thrombosis without causing unsafe bleeding.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could have fewer heart attacks, strokes, and dangerous vein clots while preserving normal clotting when needed.
How similar studies have gone: Directly targeting fibrinogen is a relatively new approach—existing anticoagulants act differently, and early lab and animal results look promising but human data are limited.
Where this research is happening
-
Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Flick, Matthew J. — Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Study coordinator: Flick, Matthew J.
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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.