MIT researches find gold can control blood clotting

Massachusetts Institute of Technology scientists, funded by the US National Science Foundation, have come up with a new technique to control blood clotting by using gold.

The method involves small particles of gold and the use of infrared laser light. According to the researchers, who published their findings in the PLoS One journal, one of the main advantages of this method is that coagulation can be turned on or off as needed.

Wound healing, surgery and other conditions require handling this process, mainly through the use of anticoagulants such as heparin or warfarin. However, reversing the effects of these drugs is difficult, as it depends on removing them from the bloodstream.

The MIT group’s findings suggest the use of blood thinners, until now the most common way control blood clotting, could be avoided in the future.