Invited Speaker

Development of Novel Anticoagulants
Balagurunathan Kuberan

Thrombotic events cause several million deaths annually worldwide. Thrombus formation and platelet aggregation initiate the formation of blood clots which prevent blood flow that eventually leads to several cardiovascular and cerbrovascular complications including myocardial infarction, stroke, deep vein thrombosis, arterial thrombosis, pulmonary embolism and hyper-coagulable state. Many drugs including heparin, aspirin, and hirudin, among others have been in use as blood thinners. All of these have numerous side effects. Therefore, designing new molecules and novel approaches to treat thrombotic diseases is necessary. Our lab has been exploring the use of novel xylosides in the induction of specific endogenous glycosaminoglycan anticoagulant, heparan sulfate and/or dermatan sulfate, to alleviate thrombotic events. Furthermore, our lab also explores enzymatic synthesis of heparin, in addition to xyloside approach, for potential replacement of current blood thinners of animal origin. We will present our findings and research endeavors employing novel chemical biology approaches that will likely revolutionize the future of anti-thrombotic therapy.