Medical research
Platelets: The chameleons of cancer biology
Have you ever been in a classroom and wondered to yourself whether the information being presented could be wrong?
May 03, 2019
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News tagged with platelet
Cardiology
Experimental antiplatelet compound for acute stroke shows promise
An experimental antiplatelet compound inhibited clot formation without increasing bleeding, a common and potentially dangerous side effect of current anticlotting therapies, according to new phase I research in Arteriosclerosis, ...
Apr 18, 2019
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Cardiology
71-year-old heart study gets $38M grant for another 6 years
The nation's longest-running multigenerational study of cardiovascular disease has received a $38 million grant that will help researchers explore the biology of aging.
Apr 17, 2019
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Medical research
Research unlocks biomechanic mystery behind deadly blood clots
Researchers at the University of Sydney have used biomechanical engineering techniques to unlock the mystery surrounding the mechanical forces that influence blood clotting.
Apr 02, 2019
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Cancer
Blocking platelets: A possible option to prevent fatty liver disease and liver cancer
Blood platelets that interact with liver cells and immune cells play a major role in the development of fatty liver disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver inflammation and liver cancer, scientists from the German Cancer Research ...
Apr 01, 2019
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Medical research
Blood cells the missing link in post–exercise boost
A discovery about how exercise improves brain function could be harnessed for research into ageing, and boosting learning and memory.
Mar 26, 2019
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Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes
Aspirin to fight an expensive global killer infection
Research led by the Centenary Institute in Sydney has found a brand new target for treating drug-resistant tuberculosis; our scientists have uncovered that the tuberculosis bacterium hijacks platelets from the body's blood ...
Mar 25, 2019
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Medical research
Researchers uncover aspirin's effects on platelet rich plasma
A collaborative study led by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine explores the effects of aspirin on a new biologic therapy, platelet rich plasma (PRP). This is the first study of its kind to examine the defects of aspirin ...
Mar 20, 2019
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Medical research
Researchers identify causal variants in blood cells and tie them with genetic mechanisms
A team of researchers affiliated with multiple institutions in and around the Boston area in the U.S. and one in Finland has identified hundreds of possible causal variants associated with blood cell traits, and tied them ...
Medical research
New method to assess platelet health could help ER doctors
Emergency room doctors often have only a few minutes to determine which patients are in need of a blood transfusion.
Mar 13, 2019
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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.
This text uses material from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA
