Antibody for Treatment and Diagnosis of Vaccine-induced Immune Thrombotic Thrombocytopenia (VITT)
Applications include:
- Use in the diagnosis and study of VITT, through the detection and measurement of the antibodies; and
- Clinical applications as a treatment method for patients with VITT and potentially heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT).
Advantages include:
- First VITT anti-PF4 antibody to be introduced for this disorder; and
- Discovery can be used in understanding VITT pathology, diagnosis, and potential treatments.
Vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT), causing blood clotting and low platelet counts, has been identified as a reaction to the COVID-19 adenoviral (Ad) vectored vaccines [1]. To allow for sufficient diagnosis and treatment, it is important to elucidate the mechanism of VITT [1].
Researchers at McMaster University and University of Massachusetts Amherst have determined the polypeptide sequence of the variable region for unique anti-platelet factor 4 (PF4) antibodies, which is implicated in VITT [2].
References:
1. Roytenberg, R., García-Sastre, A. & Li, W. Vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia: what do we know hitherto? Frontiers in Medicine 10, (2023).
2. Nguyen, S. N. et al. Structural characterization of a pathogenic antibody underlying vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT). bioRxiv 2023.05.28.542636 (2023) doi:10.1101/2023.05.28.542636.
Image obtained from: https://www.istockphoto.com
Dr. Igor Kaltashov is a professor of Chemistry at UMass Amherst where he and his research team are focused on developing novel analytical strategies to study biopolymer architecture, dynamics, and function using mass spectrometry and chromatography as primary research tools.
Available for Licensing and/or Sponsored Research
UMA 23-031
US Provisional filed
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