Understanding Blood Clotting After Certain Vaccines
Official title: The Immunobiology of Vaccine-induced Immune Thrombotic Thrombocytopenia
Funded at Versiti Blood Health, INC. · NIH-11158659 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This research looks into why some people develop unusual blood clots and low platelet counts after certain COVID-19 vaccines.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Versiti Blood Health, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Milwaukee, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $633,990 |
| NIH project number | 5P01HL167668-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11158659 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients who have experienced or are at risk for vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT) could potentially benefit from future treatments developed from this research.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without a history or risk of VITT would not directly benefit from this specific research focus.
What this research studies
Our bodies sometimes make special proteins called antibodies that can react unexpectedly after certain vaccines, leading to a condition called VITT where blood clots form and platelet counts drop. We believe that specific proteins in the blood, called PF4 and PBP, might play a role in starting this condition and causing the clots. We are working to identify exactly which parts of these proteins the antibodies target and how these reactions lead to clotting. This work uses both human samples and laboratory models to understand these complex immune responses.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: This work could lead to a better understanding of VITT, potentially helping to develop new ways to prevent or treat this rare but serious condition.
How similar studies have gone: Similar antibody-related clotting disorders, like heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT), have been studied, providing a foundation for this novel investigation into VITT.
Where this research is happening
-
Versiti Blood Health, INC.
Milwaukee, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Poncz, Mortimer — Versiti Blood Health, INC.
- Study coordinator: Poncz, Mortimer
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
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
A new drug candidate is being developed to raise platelet counts in patients whose cancer treatment lowers them, reducing bleeding risk.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.