UBC researchers discover potential new treatment for blood clots

Researchers at the University of B.C. and the University of Michigan have discovered a method to prevent blood clots without any increased risk of bleeding — a common side effect of blood thinners.

Their study, published this week in the scientific journal Nature Communications, reveals how they designed a new compound called MPI 8 to treat the potentially life-threatening condition.

Dr. Jay Kizhakkedathu, a professor and Canada Research Chair at UBC’s department of pathology and laboratory medicine and the UBC centre for blood research, calls it “a major breakthrough” in the field of blood clot prevention and treatment.

“By targeting a specific molecule involved in clot formation without disrupting the natural clotting process, we’ve created a blood thinner that has proven safer and more effective in animal models, with enormous potential to improve human lives as well, said Kizhakkedathu, in a statement released by UBC.