#WeAreTogether: How blood clot science could save lives of Covid-19 patients - public lecture

Dangerous blood clotting in patients with Covid-19 may be treatable, thanks to research from scientists at the University of Reading.

Ongoing research by Professor Jon Gibbins and a team of experts in the Institute of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Research, looking at how Covid-19 is leading to dangerous blood clots in the lungs, will be presented at an online public lecture on Wednesday 10 March.

In two studies, Prof Gibbins and the team have begun to identify how the human body’s own immune response to fight Covid-19 in the form of antibody production is leading to blood clot formation. When these clots, called thrombosis, happen in the lungs it leads to significant damage in patients.

Their research is also investigating certain drugs which may be able to support our bodies to fight Covid-19 without this dangerous clotting.

Jon Gibbins, Professor of Cell Biology at the University of Reading said:

“I am not a virologist, but like many scientists I have been unexpectedly occupied over the last year in trying to work out why Covid-19 is so dangerous for some people, and how we might be able to better prevent serious symptoms in infected patients. 

“One of the big reasons for this is that it seems to cause dangerous clots in the lungs and other tissues – which cause damage and prevent proper functioning of the lungs. During the first wave of infections in the UK, it became clear that this clotting was having a huge effect on recovery and that’s when we began to look at whether it could be reduced or reversed.

“The lecture will focus partly on my experience as a clotting expert, being pulled into a strange, new disease that no-one had heard of six months previously. I will also talk about our research which is showing encouraging first steps, which may help us to move towards a future in which Covid-19 may not be a deadly disease any longer.”

Professor Gibbins will be discussing the ongoing research at the University of Reading’s March 2021 Public Lecture: Preventing a clotting catastrophe: the COVID connection on Wednesday 10 March at 7pm online.

Registration is free for all. Book your place at:
http://www.reading.ac.uk/15/about/newsandevents/Events/Event853252.aspx

#WeAreTogether

The University of Reading is highlighting its world-leading science research that is helping tackle the pandemic and its impacts, as well as other global challenges, all this week as part of the Universities UK #WeAreTogether campaign and British Science Week (5-14 March).

Examples are being shared on the University’s @UniofReading Twitter account all week.