Protein's Removal from Platelets May Help Control Harmful Clotting

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Laboratory results from British scientists at the University of Bristol have found a possible way to prevent arterial blood clots, which can cause heart attacks.

According to BBC News, the researchers were able to remove the protein PKC alpha from blood platelets in laboratory mice, and this prevented clots from developing. PKC alpha is an essential element in clot formation.

Eventually, this method may be a reasonable alternative to anti-clotting medicines, which run the gamut from aspirin to prescription drugs, BBC News reports.

Lead researcher Alastair Poole told the BBC that one surprising result was that not having PKC alpha in a person's blood may not prevent normal bleeding control: "... we have also found that absence of PKC alpha doesn't seem to impair the normal control of bleeding, unlike some current anti-clotting medicines," Poole said.

The study appears in the current issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation.