Improved hemostasis in hemophilia mice by means of an engineered factor Va mutant

Summary Background Factor (F)VIIa‐based bypassing not always provides sufficient hemostasis in hemophilia. Objectives To investigate the potential of engineered activated factor V (FVa) variants as bypassing agents in hemophilia A. Methods Activity of FVa variants was studied in vitro using prothrombinase assays with purified components and in FV‐ and FVIII‐deficient plasma using clotting and thrombin generation assays. In vivo bleed reduction after the tail clip was studied in hemophilia A mice. Results and conclusions FVa mutations included a disulfide bond connecting the A2 and A3 domains and ones that rendered FVa resistant to inactivation by activated protein C (APC). ‘superFVa,’ a combination of the A2‐A3 disulfide (A2‐SS‐A3) to stabilize FVa and of APC‐cleavage site mutations (Arg506/306/679Gln), had enhanced specific activity and complete APC resistance compared with wild‐type FVa, FVLeiden(Arg506Gln), or FVaLeiden(A2‐SS‐A3). Furthermore, superFVa potently increased thrombin generation in vitro in FVIII‐deficient plasma. In vivo, superFVa reduced bleeding in FVIII‐deficient mice more effectively than wild‐type FVa. Low‐dose superFVa, but not wild‐type FVa, decreased early blood loss during the first 10 min by more than two‐fold compared with saline and provided bleed protection for the majority of mice, similar to treatments with FVIII. During the second 10 min after tail cut, superFVa at high dose, but not wild‐type FVa, effectively reduced bleeding. These findings suggest that superFVa enhances not only clot formation but also clot stabilization. Thus, superFVa efficiently improved hemostasis in hemophilia in vitro and in vivo and may have potential therapeutic benefits as a novel bypassing agent in hemophilia.