Nucleic acid aptamers as antithrombotic agents: Opportunities in extracellular therapeutics

Antithrombotic therapy for the acute management of thrombotic disorders has been stimulated and guided actively by our current understanding of platelet biology, coagulation proteases, and vascular science. A translatable platform for coagulation, based soundly on biochemistry, enzymology and cellular events on platelets and tissue factor-baring cells, introduces fundamental constructs, mechanistic clarity, clinical investigation of both disease- and patient-specific therapies. In the current review, we build upon and expand substantially our observations surrounding nucleic acids as antithrombotic agents.