Cristina Pecorilla: PSG6 and A New Approach to Cancer-Associated Thrombosis
Cristina Pecorilla, Doctoral Researcher at the University of Helsinki, shared on LinkedIn about a recent article she and her colleagues co-authored, published in Redox Biology, adding:
”How often have you cut yourself while chopping some vegetables?
Every time you get a small cut, tiny cell fragments in your blood called platelets rush to the wound, stick together, and seal it.
This process saves your life every day without you maybe noticing it.
But platelets can also work against you.
In cancer patients, tumors hijack platelet behaviour to protect themselves, grow new blood vessels, and spread to other organs.
The result is a dangerous cycle: cancer promotes blood clotting, while platelet activation and coagulation can support tumor progression and metastasis.
This cancer associated thrombosis is among the most common non-cancer causes of death in cancer patients and is a major complication of malignancy.
What if we could interrupt this cycle at its source?
Our latest article introduces PSG6: a mitochondria-targeted molecule that shows promising dual activity.
It inhibits platelet aggregation without increasing bleeding risk, while also selectively reducing cancer cell viability.
In fact, platelets depend heavily on mitochondrial energy to activate.
By designing a compound that accumulates specifically inside mitochondria and inhibits Complex I, we can interfere with platelet function at its metabolic roots.
This work brought together chemistry, cell biology, pharmacology, and computational modelling: Science at its best!”
Title: PSG6: A mitochondrially-targeted gentisic acid derivative exerts antiplatelet action via mitochondrial complex I inhibition
Authors: Francisca Tellería, Matías Monroy-Cárdenas, Cristina Pecorilla, Amina Djurabekova, Diego Méndez, Magdalena Sepúlveda, Felipe Lagos, Santiago Mansilla, Laura Castro, Andrés Trostchansky, Adriana Covarrubias-Pinto, Alexis González, Ivan Dikic, Iván Palomo, Volker Zickermann, Vivek Sharma, Lisandra Morales-Malvarez, Héctor Montecino-Garrido, Ramiro Araya-Maturana, Eduardo Fuentes
Stay updated on all scientific advances with Hemostasis Today.
-
Jun 4, 2026, 10:55Jacqui McCallum: Stroke Foundation Brings Stroke Advocacy to State Parliaments
-
Jun 4, 2026, 10:47Eugene Tang: Do Dementia-Predicting Scores Work for Stroke Patients?
-
Jun 4, 2026, 10:392026 National Stroke Awards Nominations Are Now Open – Stroke Foundation
-
Jun 4, 2026, 10:29Juliana Ferreira: Blogging Stroke on Exploring Early Markers of Post-Stroke Cognitive Decline
-
Jun 4, 2026, 10:20John Noble: My First Shadowing Experience in Hematology
-
Jun 4, 2026, 10:19Why Resilience Matters for Plasma-Derived Medicinal Products – PPTA Europe
-
Jun 4, 2026, 05:42Subramamyam Penubaku: Early Recognition and Risk-Based Management of Acute Pulmonary Embolism
-
Jun 4, 2026, 05:30Raghavendra Rao: Early Endothermal Ablation and Contemporary Management of Superficial Venous Thrombosis
-
Jun 4, 2026, 05:18Fouad Mikhail: Mechanical Thrombectomy and Anticoagulation in Intermediate-Risk Pulmonary Embolism