Scientists have redefined the behavior of fibrinogen, a key blood-clotting protein, when it comes into contact with air, challenging over two decades of scientific understanding regarding wound healing. This discovery, published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, stems from a decade-long international collaboration led by Dr. Richard Campbell of The University of Manchester, Professor Juan Ruso of the University of Santiago de Compostela, and Dr. Natalia Hassan of the Metropolitan Technological University.
The previous model, known as the 'single tilting layer' model, posited that fibrinogen molecules initially lay flat on the surface and then tilted upright as more accumulated. However, the new study demonstrates that fibrinogen remains flat and forms multiple layers that stack like sheets of paper, growing thicker and more complete with increased molecular presence. This multi-layered structure helps explain how long protein molecules align on the blood surface to form fibrin, the basis of a scab, which is a solid film created by fluid evaporation that seals a wound.
The research utilized neutron reflectometry at the Institut Laue-Langevin in France and confirmed this behavior across various concentrations and solution conditions, indicating it's a universal characteristic of fibrinogen upon air exposure. The implications are significant for treating clotting disorders like hemophilia, managing patients on blood thinners such as warfarin, and potentially for understanding acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), where fibrinogen can disrupt the oily layer keeping airways open. The findings may also influence the design of biosensors used for monitoring blood performance.
Separately, earlier research from the University of Leeds, partly funded by the British Heart Foundation, identified a protective protein film that forms rapidly over wounds, acting as a natural plaster. This biofilm, composed of fibrin, reorganizes from spaghetti-like fibers into a sheet-like film at the air-clot interface, providing protection against bacteria for at least 12 hours. This gives the immune system time to mobilize defenses. The Leeds study also observed that oil-based substances like petroleum jelly disrupted this protective process, warning against their use on wounds due to increased infection risk.
