ISLAMABAD: Scientists at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) have introduced a cutting-edge diagnostic platform that could transform how physicians assess a patient’s risk of developing arterial blood clots.

The research, published in Nature Communications, leverages mechanobiology — a field that explores how physical forces affect biological systems — to simulate real-life conditions inside narrowed arteries, enabling a personalised “barcode” approach to clot risk evaluation.

The study was led by Misbahud Din, a biomedical researcher and the paper’s first author, under the supervision of Dr Yunfeng Chen, Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at UTMB and principal investigator of the project.

Their work addresses a major clinical challenge. Current blood clotting tests fail to mimic the dynamic mechanical forces present in diseased arteries, potentially overlooking early thrombotic risks in patients.

“Standard lab assays don’t capture the physical forces acting on blood inside constricted arteries,” said Mr Din. “Our device mimics those conditions to reveal how a patient’s blood actually behaves under stress —something conventional tests can’t do.”

Using fluorescent dyes and microfluidics, the team developed a miniaturised system that forces blood samples through narrowed channels, replicating stenotic arteries.

The system then evaluates seven key thrombus characteristics, such as clot size, composition and platelet activation, generating a unique “barcode” for each patient’s blood clotting behaviour.

“The larger the thrombus, the more dangerous it becomes,” explained Dr Chen. “When a clot blocks blood flow, it can lead to ischemia, stroke, or heart attack — some of the most lethal cardiovascular events.”

The study revealed that mechanical stress significantly increases platelet adhesion and aggregation.

This device provides the first comprehensive method to assess these dynamics in a personalised manner.

Published in Dawn, July 17th, 2025