Clinically Translatable Nanotechnology: Hemostasis and Neuroprotection

Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland OH

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

DESCRIPTION (Provided by the applicant) Abstract: Traumatic injury is the leading cause of death for both men and women between the ages of 5 and 44 worldwide, and blood loss is a major cause of death in both civilian and battlefield traumas. It has been shown that immediate intervention is one of the most effective means of minimizing mortality associated with severe trauma, and yet the only available treatments in the field are pressure dressings and absorbent materials which are effective for exposed wounds, but cannot address internal injuries. An intervention that could be administered intravenously and be stable at room temperature could fundamentally alter trauma care, save lives, and improve outcomes. My lab has developed a functionalized nanoparticles based on FDA-approved materials that is administered intravenously and halves bleeding time in a femoral artery injury model. In this innovator proposal, I plan to test this nanoparticles system in a clinically relevant model of blunt trauma to determine its efficacy and safety, and then to use this nanoparticles system as a platform technology to investigate the role of hemostasis on trauma to the central nervous system (CNS) and to test the role of localized drug delivery following CNS injury. I hypothesize that halting bleeding will not only improve survival, but halting bleeding in the CNS will lead to better motor and cognitive function following injury by halting secondary injury progression. This proposal is particularly suited to the innovator program because it is extremely expansive, high risk, tremendously high reward, and has the potential to fundamentally change the way CNS trauma and disease are treated. Public Health Relevance: Traumatic injury is the leading cause of death for both men and women between the ages of 5 and 44 worldwide, and blood loss is the primary cause of death at acute time points post injury in both civilian and battlefield traumas. This proposal will lead to new insights and new treatments for halting bleeding.