Gallium crystals in liquid form induces “flocculation” of the clotting protein in blood. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

JNS.org – An Israeli researcher has discovered a new method that can stop uncontrolled bleeding of victims suffering from deep wounds caused by stabbings, such as the knife attacks that have been rampant during the current Palestinian terror wave in Israel.

Gallium, a biometal, is normally used to stop bone loss in cancer patients, but in liquid form (gallium nitrate) it induces “flocculation” of the clotting protein in blood, resulting in external clot formation. This will significantly reduce the risk of deadly internal blood clots. Gallium can “dramatically increase the chances of survival by victims of terror or accidents,” as it quickly stops bleeding without causing blood clots, said Moshe Rogosnitzky, director of the Center for Drug Repurposing at Israel’s Ariel University and co-founder of the non-profit MedInsight Research Institute.

Rogosnitzky said that it is “vital to get this discovery from the lab to the clinic as quickly as possible. The sooner it gets to the market, the sooner it can be used effectively to save lives.”

An online fundraising campaign called “Stop the Bleeding” was launched by US-based nonprofit We Fund the Cure to help researchers fund the clinical development of gallium and increase its availability.

“Unfortunately, there seems to be no immediate end in sight to the kind of violent attacks facing Israelis,” Rogosnitzky said. “Gallium can provide instantaneous help to victims in Israel. Our goal is to place gallium in every first aid kit and every ambulance, ensuring that every stabbing victim has an increased chance of survival. In order to move forward quickly we need resources for clinical testing.”