Thrombosis is associated with numerous medical conditions and current treatments risk severe bleeding. Circulatory system flow significantly impacts blood clot structure. Incorporating flow into in-vitro models may improve their physiological relevance, enhancing the selection of better candidates for in-vivo testing.
The assays for the study of fibrinolytics predominantly utilize static clot or microfluidic systems to assess properties such as lysis time, clot structure, or viscoelasticity. Static clot lysis assays typically rely on spectrophotometric measurements or clot mass determination as endpoints to evaluate fibrinolysis efficiency. Current thrombolytic testing uses statically-formed clots, which differ structurally from those formed under flow conditions.
Microfluidic systems consider flow dynamics, but their smaller scales create unique hemodynamics and clot structures. The currently developed RT-FluFF assay provides ease in monitoring fibrinolysis in real time under physiological flow conditions. This means we now have a platform that allows control over multiple parameters to mimic conditions closer to in-vivo study models for better translation when screening new thrombolytics.
