Summary
Platelets not only serve as essential haemostatic cells, they also have important
roles in immune defence and inflammation. Despite not having a nucleus, platelets
contain physiologically relevant amounts of RNA, which can be spliced and translated
into functional proteins. In addition, platelets have the ability to bind to numerous
other cells, such as leukocytes and vascular cells. During those interactions, platelets
can modulate cellular responses, resulting in e. g. inflammatory activation or apoptosis.
Recent studies have demonstrated that platelets can influence the outcomes of bacterial
and viral infection, as well as the extent of tissue injury after ischaemia. Platelets
also carry considerable amounts of cytokines and growth factors in their secretory
granules, preformed for rapid secretion. Those properties in combination with the
sheer amount of platelets circulating in the blood stream make them an important force
in the immune response during health and disease. In this overview, recent findings
concerning those interesting properties of platelets beyond haemostasis are discussed.
Keywords
Platelet immunology - inflammation - chemokines - adhesion molecules