In another study, funded by a grant from the American Heart Association, Niewiarowski found that venom proteins prevented blood clots in heart patients following bypass surgery. While beneficial in healthy persons, blood-clotting is a major cause of death for patients with cardiovascular problems, such as a heart attack or stroke. The study was recently featured in Cardiology Today. Viper venoms by themselves, however, can't be used as source of disintegrins. Their research also is helping pharmaceutical companies develop synthetic forms of disintegrins.
Research is the first important building block in the discovery of new drugs.
Niewiarowski and Marcinkiewicz share more in common than their research interests. Both came to Temple from their native Poland, where they studied at the Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology in Lodz. Niewiarowski, who joined Temple in 1974, is an internationally known biochemist and one of the leading experts on Platelet Factor 4, which he discovered. He is a 1993 recipient of the University's Research and Creativity Awards.