The Non Thrombotic Role Of Platelets In Health And Disease

Platelets play a key role in thrombosis and haemostasis. However recent evidence clearly demonstrates that the functional role of platelets extends to many other processes in the body. With an internationally recognised list of contributing authors, The Non-Thrombotic Role of Platelets in Health and Disease, is a unique and definitive source of state-of-the-art knowledge about the additional role of platelets outside thrombosis and haemostasis. The intended audience for The Non-Thrombotic Role of Platelets in Health and Disease includes platelet biologists, microbiologists, immunologists, haematologists, oncologists, respiratory physicians, cardiologists, neurobiologists, tissue engineers, as well as students and fellows in these areas.

Platelets play a key role in thrombosis and haemostasis. However recent evidence clearly demonstrates that the functional role of platelets extends to many other processes in the body. With an internationally recognised list of contributing authors, The Non-Thrombotic Role of Platelets in Health and Disease, is a unique and definitive source of state-of-the-art knowledge about the additional role of platelets outside thrombosis and haemostasis. The intended audience for The Non-Thrombotic Role of Platelets in Health and Disease includes platelet biologists, microbiologists, immunologists, haematologists, oncologists, respiratory physicians, cardiologists, neurobiologists, tissue engineers, as well as students and fellows in these areas.

This book reviews current science and applications in fields including thrombosis and hemostasis, signal transduction, and non-thrombotic conditions such as inflammation, allergy and tumor metastasis. It is a detailed, up-to-date, highly referenced text for clinical scientists and physicians, including recent developments in this rapidly expanding field. More than a scientific resource, this is also an authoritative reference and guide to the diagnosis.

Mammalian platelets are small (2–4 um), discoid, short-lived fragments derived from megakaryocyte precursors. They play a crucial role not only in the formation of a normal hemostatic plug but they also play a key role in a much wider repertoire of physiological processes such as inflammation, innate immunity, cancer, infection, neurobiology, and tissue repair/regeneration. Over three sections, the individual chapters in this book identify one particular aspect of platelet function, dysfunction, or application. As significant advances continue to develop our thinking of the functional role of platelets in health and disease, this book elevates awareness and enthusiasm in further investigating these functions.

The present book, which includes eleven articles five reviews and six original studies published in the Special Issue “Molecular Research On Platelet Activity in Health and Disease”, gives an international picture of the up-to-date understanding of (i) platelet signaling under physiological and pathological conditions; (ii) novel technologies for monitoring platelet functions; and (iii) clinical applications of platelet-based-therapy for management of pathological conditions, not directly related to hemostasis and thrombosis. The book reveals novel aspects of platelet biology, and will be helpful for offering new insights and a research impetus for those who are interested in developing new therapeutic tools for the management of pathological conditions depending on platelet dysfunctions.

The purpose of the book is to introduce platelets, and their functional role in thrombotic and cardiovascular disease, justifying the relevance of platelet proteomics research. Focus then shifts to the recent developments on mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomics. This chapter shows potential applications for platelet proteomics not yet carried out. It includes examples of post-translational modifications (PTMs) analysis in platelets. The second part of the book focuses on the main research done so far on platelet proteomics. This includes general proteome mapping by non-gel based separation methods (MudPit), analysis of the general platelet proteome and signaling cascades by gel-based separation methods (2-DE), sub-proteome analyses (secretome/releasate, membrane proteins, organelles). Finally, the last section links the platelet transcriptome and application to disease. This section is highly relevant and includes chapters on proteomics, transcriptomics, functional genomics, systems biology, and their applications to platelet-related diseases.

New updated edition first published with Cambridge University Press. This new edition includes 29 chapters on topics as diverse as pathophysiology of atherosclerosis, vascular haemodynamics, haemostasis, thrombophilia and post-amputation pain syndromes.