News tagged with platelets
Chemists unlock potential target for drug development
A receptor found on blood platelets whose importance as a potential pharmaceutical target has long been questioned may in fact be fruitful in drug testing, according to new research from Michigan State University ...
Chemistry / Analytical Chemistry
Jan 19, 2012 |
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Genetic test for Plavix use may be unneeded: study
A new study published Wednesday cast doubt on the usefulness of a genetic test for patients taking the anti-coagulant drug Plavix, calling into question last year's FDA warning about the blood thinner.
Medicine & Health / Medications
Dec 29, 2011 |
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Genome-wide study into new gene functions in the formation of platelets
In a study into the genetics of blood cell formation, researchers have identified 68 regions of the genome that affect the size and number of platelets. Platelets are small cells that circulate in the blood and are key to ...
Nov 30, 2011 |
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Uncovering a key player in metastasis
About 90 percent of cancer deaths are caused by secondary tumors, known as metastases, which spread from the original tumor site.
Nov 15, 2011 |
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30-day results of ADAPT-DES registry reported at TCT 2011
The relationship of platelet responsiveness to antiplatelet medications; and, the correlation of poor response, and overall platelet aggregation while on dual antiplatelet therapy to the risk of drug-eluting stent thrombosis ...
Medicine & Health / Cardiology
Nov 09, 2011 |
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Researchers find gene variants that cause stent thrombosis in people with coronary artery disease
In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine have discovered several gene variants contributing to early stent thrombosis (ST), a devastating and often deadly complication after coronary stent ...
Oct 25, 2011 |
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Sterilization method for hemodialysis dialyzer membrane linked with risk of low platelet counts
Patients who had undergone hemodialysis using dialyzers that had been sterilized with the use of electron beams were more likely to develop thrombocytopenia (an abnormally low platelet count in the blood, associated with ...
Oct 18, 2011 |
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Cardiovascular disease linked to evolutionary changes that may have protected early mammals from trauma
(Medical Xpress) -- Can a bird have a heart attack? A recent paper published by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania suggests that cardiovascular disease may ...
Oct 18, 2011 |
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Discovery helps explain why chemo causes drop in platelet numbers
Scientists at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute have identified a way that chemotherapy causes platelet numbers to drop, answering in the process a decade-old question about the formation of platelets, tiny ...
Sep 25, 2011 |
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Study examines platelet function testing for guiding antithrombotic treatment before PCI procedures
Among patients with acute coronary syndromes undergoing a procedure such as angioplasty, those who received platelet function tests before receiving antithrombotic therapy to determine appropriate clopidogrel dosing and who ...
Sep 20, 2011 |
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Body clock found to regulate platelet function
Researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) have demonstrated that the circadian system, the body's internal clock, regulates human platelet function and causes a peak in platelet activation corresponding to the known ...
Medicine & Health / Cardiology
Sep 09, 2011 |
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Bone marrow transplantation may increase cancer resistance in patients
Bone marrow transplantation with genetically modified cells may prolong the period of cancer-free survival, suggests a study led by Dr. Vivek Rangnekar, associate director of translational research for the Markey Cancer Center ...
Aug 24, 2011 |
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Scientists find elusive gene responsible for rare congenital disease
A Franco-British team of researchers has discovered a mysterious gene responsible for the extremely rare congenital Grey Platelet Syndrome that causes a bleeding disease. Only 50 cases have been reported to ...
Aug 23, 2011 |
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Anglo-French team discover elusive gene that makes platelets gray
Researchers have identified an elusive gene responsible for Gray Platelet Syndrome, an extremely rare blood disorder in which only about 50 known cases have been reported. As a result, it is hoped that future cases will be ...
Jul 25, 2011 |
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Evolution provides clue to blood clotting
A simple cut to the skin unleashes a complex cascade of chemistry to stem the flow of blood. Now, scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have used evolutionary clues to reveal ...
Jul 20, 2011 |
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Platelet
Platelets, or thrombocytes (from Greek θρόμβος, "clot" and κύτος, "cell"), are small, irregularly shaped clear cell fragments (i.e. cells that do not have a nucleus containing DNA), 2–3 µm in diameter, which are derived from fragmentation of precursor megakaryocytes. The average lifespan of a platelet is normally just 5 to 9 days. Platelets are a natural source of growth factors. They circulate in the blood of mammals and are involved in hemostasis, leading to the formation of blood clots.
If the number of platelets is too low, excessive bleeding can occur. However, if the number of platelets is too high, blood clots can form (thrombosis), which may obstruct blood vessels and result in such events as a stroke, myocardial infarction, pulmonary embolism or the blockage of blood vessels to other parts of the body, such as the extremities of the arms or legs. An abnormality or disease of the platelets is called a thrombocytopathy, which could be either a low number of platelets (thrombocytopenia), a decrease in function of platelets (thrombasthenia), or an increase in the number of platelets (thrombocytosis). There are disorders that reduce the number of platelets, such as heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) or thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) that typically cause thromboses, or clots, instead of bleeding.
Platelets release a multitude of growth factors including Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), a potent chemotactic agent, and TGF beta, which stimulates the deposition of extracellular matrix. Both of these growth factors have been shown to play a significant role in the repair and regeneration of connective tissues. Other healing-associated growth factors produced by platelets include basic fibroblast growth factor, insulin-like growth factor 1, platelet-derived epidermal growth factor, and vascular endothelial growth factor. Local application of these factors in increased concentrations through Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has been used as an adjunct to wound healing for several decades.
For more information about Platelet, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
