The role of platelets in thromboinftammation

Interactions between platelets, leukocytes and endothelial cells play an important role in various physiological and pathophysiological processes. Although the primary function of platelets is to stop bleeding, recent studies have shed some light on their role in many other processes, mainly, in immune reactions. As the key participants of all inflammatory processes, leukocytes interact both with platelets and endothelial cells linking hemostatic response and local inflammation. In its turn, endothelium is actively involved both in hemostasis regulation and inflammation. In normal conditions, these interactions help fight off pathogens and facilitate the normal process of inflammation and restoration of tissues. However, their dysregulation may result in various disorders including atherosclerosis, thrombosis, inflammation and post-infection complications. In recent years, the development of a wide array of disorders has come to be associated with thromboinflammation and immunothrombosis, whose mechanisms have become the focus of many ongoing studies. In this review, we describe thromboinflammation through its underlying molecular and cell interactions. A better comprehension of the role of platelets in the regulation of inflammatory response will not only improve our understanding of the correlation between hemostatic response and immune reactions but will also help identify new therapeutic targets and strategies for many serious disorders ranging from thrombosis to neurodegenerative diseases.