With technology developed at Case Western Reserve University by some of the principals of the firm and licensed by Haima Therapeutics, a product called SynthoPlate is under development. These are nanoparticles that, when injected into the bloodstream, mimic how platelets cluster to stop uncontrolled bleeding from various kinds of major trauma. With offices in the BioEnterprise building in Cleveland's HealthTech Corridor, Haima involves various players with expertise in platelets - that part of the body's rapid defense force that swings into action when the body suffers anything from a paper cut to a severed leg. These cell fragments are manufactured in the bone marrow. When they find a damaged blood vessel, natural platelets bind to each other and signal other platelets to congregate at that spot. In cases of uncontrolled bleeding, death can happen in minutes or hours if victims are not treated quickly with a transfusion to replace platelets and other blood cells. Often, that treatment must wait until the patient reaches a Level 1 trauma center. EMS ambulances do not carry platelets because they must be kept chilled. Further, most hospitals have a limited supply of platelets due to their short shelf life. Artificial platelets have a longer shelf life, allowing first-responders and more hospitals could keep them on hand. Bulding on decades of prior research into artificial-blood products, Haima is developing artificial platelets that are made of a lipid, or fatty, core with a peptide coating. The peptide coating allows the nanoparticles to stick to a wound and recruit nearby platelets - both natural and artificial - to help form a clot,. A layer of polymers between the lipid core and the peptide coating acts like an invisibility cloak preventin white blood cells, which defend the body against foreign substances, from detecting them. Artificial platelets remain in the bloodstream for two to three days. Without the coating, white blood cells would destroy them in less than half an hour. Haima Therapeutics is overseeing large-animal tests at CWRU and the University of Pittsburgh. It is anticipated that it wil be more years before SynthoPlates can be marketed to hospitals but principals of aima envision a future where all hospitals and first responders have artificial platelets as standard equipment enabling many lives to be saved before the nh=jured reach hospital.
