Honors Theses
Date of Award
Fall 12-9-2023
Document Type
Undergraduate Thesis
Department
Biomedical Engineering
First Advisor
Nikki Reinemann
Second Advisor
Thomas Werfel
Third Advisor
Sudeshna Roy
Relational Format
Dissertation/Thesis
Abstract
von Willebrand disease (vWD) is a genetic disorder due to quantitative or qualitative abnormalities of the von Willebrand factor (vWF). There are three main types of vWD in addition to acquired von Willebrand syndrome. Type 1 is due to a deficiency of vWF, while Type 3 is due to a complete absence of vWF. Type 2 is due to malformed factors and broken into four subtypes: 2A, 2B, 2M, and 2N. Each subtype corresponds to different abnormalities of the protein that affect its binding to other proteins such as collagen, Factor VIII, platelets, etc. Therefore, determining a patient’s type and subtype—if applicable—depends entirely on blood laboratory tests. With standard lab testing, accurately typing vWD can be extremely difficult, as many types produce similar test results. Though the assays can certainly be helpful, they cannot truly pinpoint the defectiveness of a factor. Optical tweezers allow for precise force measurements at the molecular level, allowing the interaction between vWF and other molecules to be studied. My project focuses on the binding capabilities of vWF and collagen, a structural protein found in blood vessel walls. By quantifying the biophysical properties of vWF, a baseline can be established for the binding capabilities of healthy factors. If continued, this project will allow for specialized comparison of malformed factors, allowing types to be determined more definitely. Importantly, this technique can be expanded to other binding interactions, such as vWF and Factor VIII to further assist with typing.
Recommended Citation
Hardin, Leigh, "Biophysical Study of the von Willebrand Factor via Optical Tweezers—Investigating the Collagen Binding Force Profile to Distinguish Types of von Willebrand Disease" (2023). Honors Theses. 3030.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/3030
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