Hemostasis is a process which causes bleeding to stop, meaning to keep blood within a damaged blood vessel. It is the first stage of wound healing.
Previous research has shown that a linear polymer known as polyphosphate speeds blood clotting and helps clots last longer. The inorganic compound accelerates two parts of the coagulation cascade - the contact-activation pathway and factor V, a protein that forms thrombin - leading to fibrin and clots. It also delays the breakdown of clots, which causes renewed bleeding. The net effect is accelerating the rate at which blood clots form and then prolonging how long they last.
The Center for Hemostasis Research, supported by funding from the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust, will continue to study polyphosphate through a variety of experiments, including the use of polyphosphates as an additive to topical agents and new nanotechnologies in an animal model to develop effective treatments for situations involving uncontrollable bleeding. Such scenarios could include treatment for wounds sustained on battlefields or in accidents, or for hemophelia and other diseases with coagulation deficits.