Molecular Pathways Controlling Platelet and Megakaryocyte Activity
A special issue of Biomolecules (ISSN 2218-273X). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Biology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2026 | Viewed by 59
Special Issue Editors
Interests: platelets; stem cells; signaling; metabolism; hemodynamic stress
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Platelets are anucleate cell fragments derived from megakaryocytes (MKs) that reside primarily in the bone marrow but may also localize to the lungs. The early recognition of platelets as essential mediators of effective hemostasis and pathological thrombosis has fueled extensive research detailing multiple regulatory pathways that control platelet activation. Recent studies have further expanded the role of platelets as immune cells and contributors to the development and pathology of multiple organs. However, there is an ongoing search for novel molecules or a new understanding of established platelet players that determine specificity and distinguish these functions despite largely overlapping signaling pathways. MKs, besides producing platelets, act as critical components of the bone marrow niche and contribute to immune function. Ongoing research is focused on understanding the heterogeneity and spatial functions of MKs, as well as their potential roles in development and aging.
In this Special Issue, we welcome original research and review articles that explore mechanisms of control of megakaryocyte and platelet function: (1) What are the molecular underpinnings that differentiate hemostatic and thrombotic pathways and potential mechanisms for their control? (2) Differentiation of iPSCs or hematopoietic stem cells into MKs and platelets, as well as gene editing, can be carried out effectively at a sufficient scale to permit in vitro investigations. How can these ex vivo platforms be further optimized to achieve an expanded yield? How can these technologies be applied to study the role of MKs in the regulation of hematopoietic niches, immune function, or aging? (3) Are there novel approaches to identifying and validating molecules of interest? Can high-throughput analysis protocols incorporating Omics studies, signaling pathway databases, molecular sequence-to-protein structure prediction algorithms, and AI be effective tools to streamline analysis? What are new options for more precise validation of identified targets? (4) What is the significance of metabolomics, including mitochondrial dynamics, to platelet and megakaryocyte function, and how could these be harnessed? This Special Issue aims to further our capabilities to selectively target specific functions of platelets and MKs.
Dr. Ana Kasirer-Friede
Dr. Deepa Gautam
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- platelet
- megakaryocyte
- signaling
- omics
- immune
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