Immobility-associated thromboprotection is conserved across mammalian species from bear to human

Hibernating brown bears and chronically paralyzed spinal cord injury (SCI) patients are protected from immobility-associated venous thromboembolism (VTE). The mechanisms behind this protection were unknown. The researchers performed a cross-species analysis using brown bears, mice models, humans, and pigs. They found an antithrombotic molecular signature in platelets during hibernation and chronic paralysis. The most substantially reduced platelet protein in hibernating bears was heat shock protein 47 (HSP47). Knockout or inhibition of HSP47 in mice reduced thrombosis and inflammation. SCI patients had reduced platelet HSP47 compared to controls. This was associated with reduced thrombin binding, neutrophil activation, and neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation. <a href="https://medium.com/@axialxyz/immobility-associated-thromboprotection-is-conserved-across-mammalian-species-from-bear-to-human-6cc8e6527d13">Read More</a>