🧵 1/ 🔗 Preprint: Amyloid Clots in Stroke - Excited to share our latest study with @dbkell as lead, on ischemic stroke! Co-authors include a neurologist and a neuroscientist: doi.org/10.1101/2024.1… 2/ Key Finding: Clots removed from stroke patients by mechanical thrombectomy are largely amyloid in nature. This discovery could change how we approach stroke treatment. #StrokeResearch #AmyloidClots

1/9 Here is a thread on our new paper on how amyloid-like microclots, termed fibrinaloid microclots, form in blood due to cross-seeding of amyloidogenic proteins. This finding could have major implications for thrombotic & amyloid diseases. 🔬🩸

mdpi.com/1422-0067/25/1… 2/9 💡 Key Mechanism: Amyloidogenic Cross-SeedingProteins that normally don't form amyloids can co-aggregate with amyloidogenic proteins. Our proteomic analysis showed several non-fibrin proteins embedded in microclots, hinting at cross-seeding mechanisms.

1/Our new paper is out, with @ArneauxK @DavidJoffe64 @PutrinoLab @dbkell @DrGrahamLJ @doctorasadkhan @SalamonSMD and Jaco Laubscher:
Vascular Pathogenesis in Acute and Long COVID: Current Insights and Therapeutic Outlook

A paper of hope for patients
thieme-connect.com/products/ejour… 2/🧵Vascular Pathogenesis in Acute and Long COVID – A deep dive into the role of endothelial dysfunction and clotting in long-term symptoms of #LongCOVID. Let's break it down! 👇 #COVID19Research #EndothelialHealth

🧵1/16 Our new preprint with @dbkell and Alain Thierry's team () from @Inserm, shows a significant link between circulating microclots and Neutrophil Extracellular Traps (NETs) in #LongCOVID. Dive into the findings with us. 👇ircm.fr/index.php?page…
doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.… 🧵2/16 Background:
#LongCOVID affects millions globally, presenting a variety of persistent symptoms. Thromboinflammatory processes, particularly involving fibrin amyloid microclots (FAM) and NETs, are suspected to play a crucial role.

A 🧵 on:
The Semantics of Hunting for the Correct Terminology for a Microclot @dbkell #teamclots 🧵1/ Since 2021, after we first published our proteomics paper showing that Long COVID patients have amyloid “microclots” in circulation, I have been amazed by the support from patients, clinicians, and researchers. Here's what we've discovered so far:

1) Significant paper on RBC pathology and clotting due to spike protein from David Scheim and co-workers. mdpi.com/1422-0067/24/2… 2) This paper focuses on blood cell clumping vs. the downstream events of clotting, and focuses more closely on the RBC-based primal immune defense behind the RBC aggregation.

1) A 🧵 on my latest review with @dbkell in @SemThrombHemost
where we discuss how microclots and platelet pathology may be useful in clinical investigations:
thieme-connect.com/products/ejour… 2) Fibrinaloid microclots are widely present in all chronic, inflammatory diseases studied to date and ALSO in healthy individuals.

These diseases include Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s rheumatoid arthritis, and infection with SARS-CoV-2 leading to acute or long COVID-19.

1/ 🧵 In our new review: @dbkell and I delve into the complexity of amyloid formation, their implications, and future research. #Amyloid #Microclots #TeamClotsportlandpress.com/biochemj/artic… 2/ 🧵🔴 Fibrinogen can polymerize into anomalous fibrin, forming fibrinaloids - clots/microclots that entrap molecules, stain with amyloid stains, resist fibrinolysis, block microcapillaries, and are implicated in diseases like #LongCOVID. #Fibrinaloids

1)Our story (a long 🧵): The discovery of “microclots”in LongCOVID. Over the years, @dbkell and I have been studying clotting pathology in numerous diseases (as others have too). In earlier studies, we usually added thrombin to plasma to study fibrin nets. (PS): If thrombin is added to soluble fibrinogen (the clotting protein in plasma) it mimics the clotting cascade in the body so that extensive fibrin nets are formed; these nets are broken down again by fibrinolysis. See examples of our experiments: nature.com/articles/s4159…

1/6)Could we provide context to the recent paper:: the authors suggest that the term microclots should rather be 'amyloid fibrin(ogen) particles' and is more appropriate @dbkell and I used the term 'amyloid fibrin(ogen)’ already in 2016.Glad they like it!cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.10… 2/6: Their 2nd key finding: The evidence shows that amyloid fibrin(ogen) particles are found in healthy people and those with other diseases, so they are not unique to post‐COVID‐19 condition. We have been saying (and showing) that all along. See our comparison with Diabetes.

1 of 5) Excited to share our new LongCOVID paper with co-authors @dbkell @PutrinoLab Asad Khan, Ashley Woodcock and Simone Turner. sciencedirect.com/science/articl… 2 of 5) We discuss LongCOVID classifications: Post Acute Covid: 3 to 12 weeks and Chronic Covid: symptoms beyond 12 weeks up to 3 years. We also discuss manifestations of the symptoms and risk factors and predictors.

Practice points: MECFS
The evidence presented in this review resonates with the notion that ME/CFS is characterized by physiological pathology, and not psychosomatic illness. This is a biologically-driven disease characterized by vascular (including haematological) pathology. Assessment of cardiovascular (specifically cardiac functioning) and haematological health are necessary steps in the clinical evaluation of ME/CFS patients.

We are excited to share our latest paper on ME/CFS, with my co-authors @dbkell and my PhD student, @massimo_nunes. @BloodReviews Cardiovascular and haematological pathology in myalgic encephalomyelit... sciencedirect.com/science/articl… Practice points
The evidence presented in this review resonates with the notion that ME/CFS is characterized by physiological pathology, and not psychosomatic illness. This is a biologically-driven disease characterized by vascular (including haematological) pathology.