Safer testing and treatment for heparin-induced low platelets (HIT)
Official title: New approaches to the pathophysiology, diagnosis and management of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia
Funded at Mayo Clinic Rochester · NIH-11142528 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will develop clearer blood tests and safer treatment options for people who develop low platelets after heparin (HIT).
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Mayo Clinic Rochester NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Rochester, United States) |
| Project start | August 15, 2021 |
| Project end | July 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $397,500 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL158932-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11142528 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are people diagnosed with or suspected of having HIT who can provide blood samples after heparin exposure.
✕Less likely to help
People without heparin exposure or without HIT antibodies are unlikely to benefit directly from this research.
What this research studies
Researchers will use blood samples from people with HIT to separate and study different kinds of antibodies that form after heparin exposure. They will create laboratory-made (monoclonal) versions of these antibodies and test whether each type makes platelets activate and cause clots in a mouse model. By comparing which antibodies cause platelet activation with standard lab tests, they hope to identify markers that distinguish dangerous antibodies from harmless ones. The goal is to reduce unnecessary use of stronger non-heparin blood thinners that increase bleeding risk and to improve outcomes for patients with HIT.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to tests that identify harmful HIT antibodies and safer treatment choices that reduce clotting and bleeding complications.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies have described HIT antibodies and existing tests, but using isolated monoclonal antibodies and functional mouse testing to classify pathogenic versus benign antibodies is a relatively new approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Mayo Clinic Rochester
Rochester, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Padmanabhan, Anand — Mayo Clinic Rochester
- Study coordinator: Padmanabhan, Anand
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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New ideas to understand, diagnose, and treat heparin-induced thrombocytopenia
A Mayo Clinic led study will look at the different kinds of HIT antibodies to improve diagnosis and treatment for people with HIT.
-
Second-generation BLVRB inhibitors to help chemotherapy patients with low platelets
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Immunobiology of vaccine-related clotting after adenovirus vaccines
This research asks how antibodies linked to a rare vaccine-related clotting condition (VITT) interact with specific blood proteins to cause clots after certain COVID-19 vaccines.
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Understanding and diagnosing Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia (HIT)
A project to understand the immune factors behind HIT and develop faster, more accurate tests to help people who need heparin therapy.
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Fetal and neonatal platelet allergy: understanding why some babies bleed
A study to understand why maternal antibodies cause serious bleeding in babies with FNAIT, using an animal model and human-relevant clues to improve future care for affected families.
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Molecular mechanisms behind immune-related low platelets and clots in transfusion medicine
This grant supports a team of researchers to understand how immune factors cause low platelets and abnormal clots, with a focus on transfusion medicine and pediatric to adult patients.
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.