Moving closer to producing heparin in the lab
Sunday, April 12, 2020 - 15:40
in Physics & Chemistry
Researchers moved one step closer to the ability to make heparin in cultured cells. Heparin is a potent anti-coagulant and the most prescribed drug in hospitals, yet cell-culture-based production of heparin is currently not possible. Heparin is now produced by extracting the drug from pig intestines, which is a concern for safety, sustainability, and security reasons.