Scientists identify blood-clotting sensor

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., June 6 (UPI) -- Scientists have identified a molecular sensor that controls the balance between blood clotting and bleeding, Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., said.

The discovery could lead to more effective treatments for people with blood-clotting disorders, said Dr. Wesley Wong, who led the research.

Wong's team identified a sensor which controls the size of a protein on the von Willebrand factor blood-clotting protein, the BBC reported Saturday.

The von Willebrand factor is vital to blood circulation. Abnormalities can lead to bleeding disorders and heart attacks, HeathDayNews reported Saturday.

"A central aspect of this response to damage is the ability to bring bleeding to an end, a process known as homeostasis," Wong said. "Yet regulating homeostasis is a complex balancing act."

For their research, Wong's team developed "optical tweezers" to manipulate molecules. The tweezers applied miniscule force to individual molecules while the researchers observed changes in the molecules' length.