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Updated: Sep 2, 2025
Experimental and Imaging Techniques for Examining Fibrin Clot Structures in Normal and Diseased States
Published on: April 1, 2015
Fibrin structure, viscoelasticity and lysis face the interplay of biorelevant polyions
Erzsébet Komorowicz1, Krasimir Kolev
1Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.
Purpose Of Review:
In the past 5 decades, heparins have been widely used as anticoagulants in the prevention and treatment of thrombosis. Subsequent development of heparin variants of various size and charge facilitated the discovery of their multiple biological actions and nonanticoagulant benefits. Platelet-derived or microbial polyphosphates, as well as DNA released in the course of neutrophil extracellular trap-formation are additional polyanions, which can modulate the development and stability of thrombi associated with cancer or inflammation. In this review, we focus on the size-dependent and electric charge-dependent modulatory effects of the three polyanions of different chemical structure.
Recent Findings:
The polycationic histones have been recognized as potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets in several diseases related to inflammation and thrombosis. Since combating histones with activated protein C or heparin could cause unwanted bleeding, the quest for nonanticoagulant histone-neutralizing agents is ongoing. Polyanions may neutralize or exaggerate certain histone-mediated effects depending on their electric charge, size and histone effects under investigation. Several prothrombotic effects of polyphosphates and DNA are also size-dependent.
Summary:
The efficiency of future therapeutics targeting prothrombotic polyanions or histones is not a simple matter of electric charge, but may rely on a delicate combination of size, charge and chemical composition.
