Antiplatelet agents such as aspirin and clopidogrel have been shown to be highly effective in the treatment and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease . However, many patients who receive this agents still suffer ischemic events. This leads us to believe that there is room for additional antiplatelet therapies.The P2Y1 receptor is activated by ADP and helps change platelet shape and gather additional platelets to form a clot. We investigated the properties of a P2Y1 inhibitor known as MRS2179 using blood from healthy donors. Our investigations showed that MRS2179 effectively reduces the aggregation of platelets. As platelets move across the surface of the damaged blood vessels, they adhere to Von Willebrand Factor (vWF) that has been exposed. We used a dynamic assay to mimic the environment the platelets experience in the body and discovered that the same concentration of MRS2179 increased the speed at which the platelets travel, interfering with their ability to adhere to the vWF. This suggests the potential of MRS2179 to be used as a new antiplatelet agent.
In this project we aim to investigate the effect MRS2179 has in blood samples drawn from cardiovascular disease patients. The data we will collect from this project will allow us to draw valuable conclusions and further assess the therapeutic benefit of P2Y1 inhibitors. We also plan to combine MRS2179 with the leading antiplatelet drugs, aspirin and clopidogrel, for use in the dynamic assay. The combination of all three agents could create a triple therapy and help prevent future ischemic episodes.
