An Aptamer-Based EXACT Anticoagulant as a Sustainable, Animal-Free Alternative to Unfractionated Heparin.

ABSTRACT: Unfractionated heparin (UFH), designated as an essential medicine by the World Health Organization (WHO), is indispensable in cardiac surgery and various clinical applications. However, its production depends on the farming of over a billion large animals annually, posing sustainability challenges, especially amidst increasing efforts to mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by reducing animal farming. The rising demand for UFH has outpaced its supply, and previous attempts to develop synthetic alternatives have fallen short because of their limited potency and reversibility. Here, HD1-12dmA-DAB is presented, a novel synthetic anticoagulant developed through chemical conjugation of a thrombin exosite-binding aptamer (HD1) with a thrombin active-site inhibitor (dabigatran). By optimizing

SUBMITTER: Yu H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12822440 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature