PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

New research will improve safety and quality of Heparin

New research will improve safety and quality of Heparin
2021-05-14
(Press-News.org) A new method to analyse the blood thinning drug Heparin has been developed that can pinpoint contaminants more accurately and quickly, providing greater quality control and safety.

An interdisciplinary team from the University of Nottingham's Schools of Pharmacy and Medicine have used the latest chemical imaging technology to identify contaminants in Heparin at the nanoscale, a discovery that manufacturers could use to improve the quality and safety of this widely used anticoagulant drug. The research has been published in Communications Chemistry.

Heparin is naturally occurring glycosaminoglycan (GAG) but is also widely used widely as a medication. It is often used as an anticoagulant (blood thinner) before and after surgery but is also used in kidney dialysis and in blood processing. Pharmaceutical-grade heparin is derived from mucosal tissues of pig intestines or cow lungs. The majority of Heparin is made in China and in 2008 there were a number of deaths and illnesses caused by a contaminated batch. Continuing problems with the supply chain remain a concern.

Using a state-of-the-art chemical imaging technique called Time of Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) the researchers developed a new analytical approach that is more than 100 times more sensitive at detecting contaminants in Heparin, whilst also being faster and requiring less material to analyse. This technique blasts high-energy beams of positive ions at the sample's surface to produces secondary ions. These ions are then accelerated into a time-of-flight analyser and where their mass can be measured. The spectrum of ions provides a detailed measurement of the sample's chemical make-up.

Dr Andrew Hook from the School of Pharmacy led the research and said: "Heparin is particularly susceptible to contamination, commonly from other glycosaminoglycans and as they are all very similar chemically it is difficult to tell them apart using traditional analysis techniques. Whilst there are safety measures in place already to prevent contamination we saw room for improvement and using the ToF-SIMS techniques we were able to create a faster and more sensitive method for analysing Heparin that can be achieved with a very small amount of sample material."

Professor of Stem Cell Glycobiology, Cathy Merry adds: "There are many real risks to the heparin supply chain, not least of which are the increasing prevalence of animal viruses. The previous heparin crisis was linked to a reduction in the supply of porcine heparin following an outbreak of swine flu. There is a real risk this will happen again and there is now even tighter control on the international trade in animals so it is even more likely that vast numbers of animals could be destroyed if there's another outbreak. There's also been a huge drive to create synthetic heparin and, although this is still a way off, when it is available there will still be a need for a rapid, sensitive comparative technique to characterise the drug heparin which this technique can provide."

This new technique is scalable for commercial use with the ability to analyse large numbers of samples at a time.

Dr Hook continues; "It is critical that safety measures are as accurate and sensitive as possible. This technique will be a cost-effective way for manufacturers to take their safety and quality control to the next level. We are also looking at how this technique could be adapted to diagnose GAG based disorders that are typically difficult to diagnose like Hunter's Syndrome."

INFORMATION:


[Attachments] See images for this press release:
New research will improve safety and quality of Heparin

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

E-cigarettes associated with wheezing, shortness of breath

2021-05-14
ATS 2021, New York, NY - The use of e-cigarettes is associated with wheezing and shortness of breath in young adults and adolescents, even in those who don't smoke cigarettes or marijuana, according to research presented at the ATS 2021 International Conference. Alayna P. Tackett, PhD, assistant professor of preventive medicine, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, and colleagues conducted a web-based survey of 2,931 adolescents and young adults (average age: 18.9) with questions on the use of e-cigarettes, cigarettes and cannabis, along with self-reported asthma diagnosis and respiratory symptoms, over the previous 30 days. The survey was fielded between August 6 and 30, 2020 among a national convenience sample of youth and young ...

Living in redlined areas associated with lower lung function in those with asthma

2021-05-14
ATS 2021, New York, NY - Individuals with asthma who live in redlined neighborhoods have worse lung function than those in locales that excluded Black people and benefited from decades of inequitable wealth accumulation at the expense of Black communities in the United States, according to research presented at the ATS 2021 International Conference. Alexander Schuyler, MD/PhD candidate, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and Sally Wenzel, MD, director, Asthma & Environmental Lung Health Institute, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, sought to examine the connection between residence in historically ...

Teens, adults who use E-cigarettes have increased odds of asthma, asthma attacks

2021-05-14
Session: TP16 Abstract Presentation Time: Available On-Demand; 8 a.m. EDT, Friday, May 14, 2021 ATS 2021, New York, NY - While vaping is thought to be a safer alternative to smoking, teens and adults who use e-cigarettes have increased odds of developing asthma and having asthma attacks, according to research presented at the ATS 2021 International Conference. Teresa To, PhD, senior scientist in the Child Health Evaluative Sciences program at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), and colleagues sought to determine whether youth and young adults ...

Genes associated with COVID-19 risk identified

2021-05-14
Session: TP91 Abstract Presentation Time: On Demand; 8 a.m. EDT, Friday, May 14, 2021 ATS 2021, New York, NY - Having genetic risk variants in the ABO gene might significantly increase the chances of developing COVID-19, and other genes may also increase COVID-19 risk, according to research presented at the ATS 2021 International Conference. Much about COVID-19 remains a medical mystery, including whether certain genes place individuals at greater risk of contracting the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19. Ana Hernandez Cordero, PhD, postdoctoral fellow with the Centre for Heart Lung Innovation, University of British Columbia, and colleagues used integrative genomics combined with proteomics to identify ...

How moths find their flame - genetics of mate attraction discovered

How moths find their flame - genetics of mate attraction discovered
2021-05-14
The mysteries of sexual attraction just became a little less mysterious - at least for moths. A team of six American and European research groups including Tufts University has discovered which gene expressed in the brain of the male European corn borer moth controls his preference for the sex pheromone produced by females. This complements a previous study on the gene expressed in the female pheromone gland that dictates the type of blend she emits to attract males. The study was reported today in Nature Communications. The implications go beyond ...

Researchers develop 3D-printed jelly

Researchers develop 3D-printed jelly
2021-05-14
3D-printable gels with improved and highly controlled properties can be created by merging micro- and nano-sized networks of the same materials harnessed from seaweed, according to new research from North Carolina State University. The findings could have applications in biomedical materials - think of biological scaffolds for growing cells - and soft robotics. Described in the journal Nature Communications, the findings show that these water-based gels - called homocomposite hydrogels - are both strong and flexible. They are composed of alginates - chemical compounds found in seaweed and algae that are commonly used as thickening agents and in wound ...

New immunotherapy 'highly effective' against hepatitis B

2021-05-14
Scientists at UCL have identified a new immunotherapy to combat the hepatitis B virus (HBV), the most common cause of liver cancer in the world. Each year, globally, chronic HBV causes an estimated 880,000 deaths from liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma/liver cancer (HCC). The pioneering study used immune cells isolated directly from patient liver and tumour tissue, to show that targeting acyl-CoA:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT), an enzyme that helps to manage cholesterol levels in cells*, was highly effective at boosting immune ...

Herbivores developed powerful jaws to digest tougher plants after the mass extinctions

Herbivores developed powerful jaws to digest tougher plants after the mass extinctions
2021-05-14
Researchers at the University of Bristol found that plant eaters diversified quickly after mass extinctions to eat different kinds of plants, and the ones that were able to chew harsher materials, which reflected the drying conditions of the late Triassic, became the most successful. These tougher herbivores included some of the first dinosaurs. Following the largest mass extinction of all time, the end-Permian mass extinction, ecosystems rebuilt from scratch during Triassic times, from 252-201 million years ago paving the way for new species, and many new kinds of plants and animals emerged. In a new study published in Nature Communications and led by Dr Suresh Singh of Bristol's School of Earth Sciences, fresh ...

Health outcomes differ between UK and US children with cystic fibrosis

2021-05-14
A new study led by University of Liverpool researchers has confirmed that children with cystic fibrosis (CF) in the US have better lung function than UK children with the disease. The study suggests that differences do not appear to be explained by early growth or nutrition, but could be linked to differences in the use of early treatments. This long-term analysis follows a 2015 study comparing UK and CF populations in the year 2010, which first highlighted potential differences in lung function. CF is a serious, multi-organ inherited disease characterised by pulmonary infections and progressively declining lung function. Most people ...

Above the noise

Above the noise
2021-05-14
Osaka, Japan - Scientists from the Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research at Osaka University used machine learning methods to enhance the signal-to-noise ratio in data collected when tiny spheres are passed through microscopic nanopores cut into silicon substrates. This work may lead to much more sensitive data collection when sequencing DNA or detecting small concentrations of pathogens. Miniaturization has opened the possibility for a wide range of diagnostic tools, such as point-of-care detection of diseases, to be performed quickly and with very small samples. For example, unknown particles can be analyzed by passing ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Mammals were adapting from life in the trees to living on the ground before dinosaur-killing asteroid

Low LDL cholesterol levels linked to reduced risk of dementia

Thickening of the eye’s retina associated with greater risk and severity of postoperative delirium in older patients

Almost one in ten people surveyed report having been harmed by the NHS in the last three years

Enhancing light control with complex frequency excitations

New research finds novel drug target for acute myeloid leukemia, bringing hope for cancer patients

New insight into factors associated with a common disease among dogs and humans

Illuminating single atoms for sustainable propylene production

New study finds Rocky Mountain snow contamination

Study examines lactation in critically ill patients

UVA Engineering Dean Jennifer West earns AIMBE’s 2025 Pierre Galletti Award

Doubling down on metasurfaces

New Cedars-Sinai study shows how specialized diet can improve gut disorders

Making moves and hitting the breaks: Owl journeys surprise researchers in western Montana

PKU Scientists simulate the origin and evolution of the North Atlantic Oscillation

ICRAFT breakthrough: Unlocking A20’s dual role in cancer immunotherapy

How VR technology is changing the game for Alzheimer’s disease

A borrowed bacterial gene allowed some marine diatoms to live on a seaweed diet

Balance between two competing nerve proteins deters symptoms of autism in mice

Use of antifungals in agriculture may increase resistance in an infectious yeast

Awareness grows of cancer risk from alcohol consumption, survey finds

The experts that can outsmart optical illusions

Pregnancy may reduce long COVID risk

Scientists uncover novel immune mechanism in wheat tandem kinase

Three University of Virginia Engineering faculty elected as AAAS Fellows

Unintentional drug overdoses take a toll across the U.S. unequally, study finds

A step toward plant-based gelatin

ECMWF unveils groundbreaking ML tool for enhanced fire prediction

The food and fuel that farms itself

Patient- and Community-Level Characteristics Associated With RSV Vaccination

[Press-News.org] New research will improve safety and quality of Heparin