“Coagulation is a surgeon’s best friend.” This old maxim may soon have new meaning thanks to a breakthrough in neurostimulation. Researchers have developed a way to control blood clotting through targeted electrical pulses. It’s like having a switch for our platelets, ready to form clots on command.
Let’s look at the implications of this technology together, and prepare for a future where our coagulation system can be “hacked”.
The Neural Tourniquet: When the Body Becomes a First Aid Kit
You are a surgeon in the middle of a delicate operation and suddenly you are faced with a hemorrhage. Today you would break out in a cold sweat as you try to stem the flow of blood. In the near future you could simply press a button and… voila! The blood will stop flowing, almost magically (but it's science).
Welcome to the world of the “neural tourniquet,” the latest in high-tech clotting. It’s like having a remote control for your circulatory system. Want to know how it works?
The mechanism underlying “neural” coagulation
The device developed by a team of researchers led by Jared Houstonn at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research in Manhasset, New York, works by stimulating the vagus nerves1, the “nerve highways” that connect the brain to the rest of the body. This stimulation drives the spleen (yes, you read that right, the spleen: so it's not useless), which starts producing platelets as if there were no tomorrow.
Le platelets, those little cellular heroes responsible for clotting, are thus catapulted into action, ready to plug any leak in the system. It's a bit like your body has suddenly issued a "call to arms" for an army of tiny plumbers ready to fix any leak.
Results that will make your head spin (but not your blood)
The results of the experiments (I link them to you here) were, to put it mildly, surprising. In pigs The treatment reduced blood loss by 50%. But that's not all. The duration of bleeding has been reduced by 40%.
Now researchers have begun testing this technology on humans as well. Un trial with 30 patients showed promising results. Sure, they weren't as spectacular as in pigs, but the device still increased clot stability and platelet activation.
The Dark Side of Turbo Coagulation
Now, before you start thinking that this is the answer to all our bleeding problems, let me throw some cold water on this “clotting enthusiasm.”
First problem: timing. It seems that platelets are currently at their peak activation approximately 2 hours after stimulation. Not exactly ideal for emergencies, right? It’s a bit like calling the fire department and being told, “We’ll be there in a couple of hours, okay?”
Second problem, more than anything a doubt that I would like to clarify: and if the coagulation was too effective? Imagine turning this device on and suddenly your blood decides to clot everywhere. Not exactly ideal, right? It's a bit like turning your circulatory system into a giant blob of jelly.
Coagulation 2.0: A Bleed-Proof Future?
Despite the potential problems, researchers are excited about the possibilities of this system. They are already considering using it for conditions such as hemophilia.
Researchers are also testing the device on women with type 1 von Willebrand disease, who often suffer from excessive menstrual bleeding and lose up to a litre of blood during menstruation
On the one hand, it’s an exciting prospect. It could save countless lives, and make surgery much safer. On the other hand, there’s something a little unsettling about the idea of “hacking” our clotting system.
In the meantime, in emergency cases we maintain pressure on the wound. The future of brain-controlled clotting (or artificial platelets) may be around the corner, but for now, a good old bandage is still your best friend. Unless, of course, you have a particularly obedient spleen and some hyperactive platelets hiding away somewhere.
