Metabolic and Signal Transduction 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 245
Special Issue Editors
Interests: platelets; stem cells; signaling; metabolism; hemodynamic stress
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Platelets, progeny of megakaryocytes, are established essential mediators of effective hemostasis and pathological thrombosis, with recent studies further highlighting their role as immune cells and as contributors to the development and pathology of multiple organs. Extensive available research details regulatory pathways that control platelet activation, but there are gaps in our knowledge of how distinct molecules render specificity to diverse platelet functions despite participation of largely overlapping signaling pathways. Furthermore, considerably less focus has been placed on unraveling the platelet metabolic pathways providing cellular bioenergetics including glucose and fatty acid metabolism, as well as autophagy for molecular recycling, and transporter systems that control exchange of solutes across membranes and play an important role in cellular access by drugs. Together, they provide homeostatic support for platelets in circulation but also support the increased energetic needs for activation triggered through canonical and non-canonical agonists. MKs also utilize metabolic and transporter elements to mediate responses to systemic changes that may alter platelet composition and guide the heterogeneity and spatial functions of MKs.
In this Special Issue, we welcome original research and review articles that explore the specificity of platelet activation in hemostasis versus thrombosis, or how metabolic and transporter systems may control megakaryocyte and platelet function. In particular, what is the impact of these systems on classic hemostatic and thrombotic functions and additionally on the recently identified roles for platelets in immune function, aging, cancer and organ pathology? We are also interested in studies that explore optimization of human iPSC cell differentiation to MKs and platelets that may then serve as ex vivo platforms to study the role of MKs and platelets in regulation of hematopoietic niches, immune function or aging. Lastly, how can we best mine Omics studies, signaling pathway databases, molecular sequence to protein structure prediction algorithms, and AI to create effective user-friendly tools for high-throughput analysis to promote discovery? 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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