Technological Advancement in Thrombosis Analysis
Table 1: Descriptions of primary, secondary, and tertiary sources
Type Definition Examples
Primary Source • In the sciences, a primary source is the original publication of new data, research or theories by the individual(s) producing the data, conducting the research, or formulating the theory.
• Typically, primary research articles are published in peer-reviewed journal articles with standardized sections, often including a Literature Review, description of Methods, tables of Data, and a summary of Results or formal Conclusion. • experimental studies
• clinical trials
• opinion surveys
Secondary Source
• Secondary sources are those that summarize, critique or comment on events, data or research presented previously. Since they are one or more steps removed from the event, these sources are considered less reliable in terms of evidence. • textbooks
• review articles
• magazine articles
• news reports
• encyclopedias and other reference books
Tertiary Source • Tertiary sources consist of information which is a distillation and collection of primary and secondary sources. • almanacs
• directories
• indexes and abstracts
Mini review paper
Select a topic of your interest in the biomedical sciences to study. Write a 2-page (minimum, excluding references and figures/tables) research paper on your chosen topic according to the following guidelines:
• Use sub-headings to organize your writing.
o Introduction – 1-2 paragraphs to grab the reader’s interest and introduce your topic. This includes the “big picture” or why your topic is important. (2 points)
o Headings meaningful to your topic (This is the body of your paper, but don’t call this section “Body of paper”) – This is the bulk of the review of literature. Include experimental evidence and interpretations of the cited studies. This is not a place for detailed methods, but brief descriptions that convey the knowledge learned from the other studies. Indicate where studies seem to form a consensus or where there is some controversy. Use any figures if necessary from published studies (in which case, be sure to cite the study in the figure caption) or create your own. (4 points)
o Conclusion – 1-2 paragraphs summarizing the major points succinctly. Why is this review significant? What is still unknown that should be studied in the future? Suggest ideas of yours based on the review you have done. (2 points)
o References – Include at least 7 references which are primary sources (see Table 1 on page 2 for a description of primary sources). Do not include references in the final page count. (2 points)
• Formatting:
Technological Advancement in Thrombosis Analysis
Introduction
Thrombosis is the undesirable clotting of blood in the transmission vessels. It is a life-threatening problem that accounts for about 25% of all deaths of patients suffering from stroke and myocardial infarction (Esmon, 2009). Extensive research has been conducted on thrombosis to improve and enhance human health. It is quite difficult to administer drugs for thrombosis patients. The development and advancement of the disease are dependent on the flow of blood and its components in the vessels. Past studies have widely been based on animal models which have failed to provide accurate results. In the last few years, researchers have utilized microfluidic technology to track and analyze the disease. According to Pandian, Mannino, Lam, & Jain (2018), the technology has been proved a better research tool as it utilizes human cells and well patients’ blood which was lacking in previous methods. This paper discusses microfluidic technology with the aim of giving more insight into its use, application, and impact on human health.
Research models
The models being used in the study include “in vivo” animal models such as zebrafish, primate models as well as “in vitro” studies in human beings.
Animal models
Animal-based methods utilize models developed from the specimen such as mice and rabbits. The study is developed for venous, arterial, and microvascular thrombosis. In arterial thrombosis, the injury is induced in the carotid arteries. Venous thrombosis involves inducing injuries by stenosis or stasis. In microvascular thrombosis, the injury is induced using a free radical injury on the mesenteric veins (Magallon et al., 2011; Jagadeeswaran, Cooley, Gross, & Mackman, 2016). The study has contributed in the understanding of the mechanisms governing thrombosis including the role of genetic variation, factors that are considered integral in the formation of thrombus and physiological differences in models with human characteristics.
In Vitro models
The commonly used in vitro models include parallel plate flow chamber and cone-plate viscometers. In Vitro, systems are useful in studying the impact of recirculating flow and shear forces on platelets as well as their effect on the process of coagulation (Nesbitt et al., 2009). However, the anatomy of blood vessels is not accurately replicated in the chambers and the devices, therefore, require large amounts of blood, cells, or reagents. According to Vilahur, Padro, & Badimon (2011), managing large flows is quite expensive and does not mimic 3D flow layout of blood.
Micro-physiological models
The study is based on the fact that thrombosis is more complicated than just the interaction between blood cells, extracellular matrix, and endothelium. Some other factors play major roles in the interaction. They include inflammatory factors and alveolar epithelium. Chip technology offers a solution to this by providing a method for mimicking the environment of thrombosis (Schönfelder, Jäckel, & Wenzel, 2016). It also brings insight on tissue-tissue interactions so that thrombosis can be analytically examined. The devices used to move around in the human blood in the blood veins and arteries so that its biological process is visualized. The commonly used instruments include microscopes, biosensors, and genomic screens.
Figure 1: Representation of microphysical modeling (source: Pandian et al., 2018)
Conclusion
The study is very important as it provides detailed information on various models that have been in use as well as emerging trends in the field thrombosis analysis. Microfluidic technology provides more refined results that can be critical in the analysis of the disease. The method, however, has a number of limitations. The devices used have rectangular channels that have a high surface to volume ratio and therefore, the flow at the edges does not relate to the flow in vascular tubes. The analysis can only be successfully done a distance from the walls. The process also has a high initial cost which reduces as it progresses. There is also a reduced 3D capability since 2D designs are needed to develop 3D designs. Furthermore, the channels are small and rigid making it difficult to develop turbulence which is present in large blood vessels. These are grey areas where more research is needed.
References
Esmon, C. T. (2009). Basic mechanisms and pathogenesis of venous thrombosis. Blood Reviews, 23(5), 225-229.
Jagadeeswaran, P., Cooley, B. C., Gross, P. L., & Mackman, N. (2016). Animal Models of Thrombosis From Zebrafish to Nonhuman Primates. Circulation Research, 118(9), 1363-1379.
Magallon, J., Chen, J., Rabbani, L., Dangas, G., Yang, J., Bussel, J., & Diacovo, T. (2011). Humanized Mouse Model of Thrombosis Is Predictive of the Clinical Efficacy of Antiplatelet Agents. Circulation, 123(3), 319-326.
Nesbitt, W. S., Westein, E., Tovar-Lopez, F. J., Tolouei, E., Mitchell, A., Fu, J., … Jackson, S. P. (2009). A shear gradient–dependent platelet aggregation mechanism drives thrombus formation. Nature Medicine, 15(6), 665-673.
Pandian, N. K., Mannino, R. G., Lam, W. A., & Jain, A. (2018). Thrombosis-on-a-chip: Prospective impact of microphysiological models of vascular thrombosis. Current Opinion in Biomedical Engineering, 5, 29-34.
Schönfelder, T., Jäckel, S., & Wenzel, P. (2016). Mouse models of deep vein thrombosis. Gefässchirurgie, 22(S1), 28-33.
Vilahur, G., Padro, T., & Badimon, L. (2011). Atherosclerosis and Thrombosis: Insights from Large Animal Models. Journal of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, 2011, 1-12.
