Platelets Functions, Organization, and Their Associated Diseases: A Brief Review

In healthy hemostasis and pathological states like thrombosis, inflammation, and cancer, platelets a varied small nucleate blood cell types play a crucial role. New, vital information regarding platelet biology and platelet responses to different pathogenic pathways has been provided by recent advances in proteomic studies. Given their ubiquitous distribution and relative ease of isolation from human samples, platelets provide a prime candidate for proteomic analysis, which holds great promise for unraveling the intricate roles played by platelets in health and illness, identifying and evaluating prospective protein molecules derived from platelets as biomarkers, and developing new antiplatelet therapeutic targets. This review provides up-to-date information on platelet organization, platelet-related disorders, stimulation heterogeneity and its effects on diverse platelet functions, and numerous therapeutic targeting efforts involving platelets.