# Novel insights on immune thrombocytopenia purpura with platelet contraction cytometry

> **NIH NIH F31** · EMORY UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $51,752

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
 Defined by a low platelet count in the absence of any other cause, immune thrombocytopenic purpura
(ITP) affects over 4,000 US children and 8,000 adults each year. While the majority of ITP cases resolve
themselves, patients with ITP have an enhanced risk of bleeding, with 10% experiencing major bleeding, and
0.5% of experiencing life-threatening intracranial hemorrhage. Currently, there is no accurate biomarker or
diagnostic test that assesses the bleeding risk in ITP and all therapies potentially cause significant side effects.
This leaves clinicians with a significant dilemma in deciding whether or not to treat. Patients who are ultimately
at high risk may not receive treatment until serious bleeding occurs, and low risk patients may be exposed to
unnecessary treatment side effects. The research objective of this proposal is to investigate a novel hypothesis,
namely, that the contractile force of individual platelets correlates with bleeding phenotype in ITP, independent
of traditionally used biological markers or assays of hematological function. Using a technique developed by our
lab, a high-throughput platelet contraction cytometer (PCC), to measure platelet contractile forces at the single
cell level, our latest results of a study of pediatric patients with primary ITP suggests that platelet forces 1) vary
significantly from healthy controls, 2) strongly correlate with bleeding and 3) change over time in the same
patient. Aim 1 builds on this preliminary data and proposes a rigorous investigation into the relationship between
contractile force, platelet characteristics, and clinical endpoints by studying a cohort of newly enrolled ITP
patients at a single time point and prospectively for 12 months. We will specifically see if platelet contractile force
correlates with bleeding score, immature platelet fraction, platelet activation, platelet morphology, patient
demographics, and treatments. The PCC also offers a unique opportunity to gain new insights into the function
of platelets from patients with ITP and mechanistic underpinnings of low force. Previous studies were hindered
as traditional tools of platelet function such as aggregometry, platelet functional analyzers, or
thromboelastography are confounded by the low platelet count in ITP. We will use the PCC to test our hypothesis
that both intrinsic platelet changes and extrinsic plasma factors modify platelet contractile force. From an extrinsic
perspective, our data has shown that the presence of anti-platelet IgG antibodies correlates with more severe
bleeding and lower contractile forces. From an intrinsic perspective, we have found that patients with low mean
platelet volume have lower platelet force and increased bleeding symptoms. As the mechanistic underpinnings
are unclear, Aim 2 seeks to perform systematic, unbiased investigation into both the intrinsic and extrinsic factors
that may modulate platelet function. This F31-diversity predoctoral training ...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10677532
- **Project number:** 5F31HL160210-02
- **Recipient organization:** EMORY UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Oluwamayokun Oshinowo
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $51,752
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-08-19 → 2026-08-18

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10677532

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10677532, Novel insights on immune thrombocytopenia purpura with platelet contraction cytometry (5F31HL160210-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10677532. Licensed CC0.

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