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Cells
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Molecular and Cellular Insights into Platelet Function, 2nd Edition
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Molecular and Cellular Insights into Platelet Function, 2nd Edition

A special issue of Cells (ISSN 2073-4409).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 April 2026 | Viewed by 2201

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Stepan Gambaryan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Clinical Biochemistry and Pathobiochemistry, University of Wuerzburg, Grombühlstrasse 12, D-97080 Wuerzburg, Germany
Interests: cyclic nucleotides signaling; PKA; PKG; platelets
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Mikhail A. Panteleev

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Medical Physics, Physics Faculty, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 1 Leninskie Gory, 119991 Moscow, Russia
Interests: immune; platelet; thrombosis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This is a second edition of the Special Issue “Molecular and Cellular Insights into Platelet Function”.

Blood platelets are unique anuclear cells whose main function is to protect vascular integrity by forming hemostatic plugs, promoting blood coagulation, and regulating vessel wall status. They also function as regulators of wound healing, fibrinolysis, regeneration and tissue remodeling, angiogenesis, lymphatic development, inflammation, and immunity. This multitude of functions, the high complexity of the inner structure, and an intricate signal transduction network make platelets a difficult and exciting object of research, while their involvement in vital physiological and pathological processes makes this research urgently important. Despite enormous progress in recent decades, platelets still present numerous unresolved questions.

This Special Issue of Cells will highlight recent progress and address major challenges in the platelet field through a collection of original research articles, reviews, and communications. We welcome studies of types—including basic, methodological, technological, and computational—related to this topic.

Prof. Dr. Stepan Gambaryan
Dr. Mikhail A. Panteleev
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Cells is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • platelet
  • wound healing
  • fibrinolysis
  • regeneration and tissue remodeling
  • angiogenesis
  • lymphatic development
  • inflammation and immunity

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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21 pages, 5654 KB  
Article
Neutrophil Extracellular Traps Promote Platelet-Driven Contraction of Inflammatory Blood Clots via Local Generation of Endogenous Thrombin and Softening of the Fibrin Network
by Shakhnoza M. Saliakhutdinova, Rafael R. Khismatullin, Alina I. Khabirova, Rustem I. Litvinov and John W. Weisel
Cells 2025, 14(24), 2018; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells14242018 - 18 Dec 2025
Viewed by 735
Abstract
Immunothrombosis can substantially affect the course and outcomes of severe infections and immune-mediated diseases. While inflammatory thrombi are neutrophil-rich, impact of neutrophils on clot contraction, a key modulator of thrombus stability and obstructiveness, was unknown. This study investigated how neutrophils and neutrophil extracellular [...] Read more.
Immunothrombosis can substantially affect the course and outcomes of severe infections and immune-mediated diseases. While inflammatory thrombi are neutrophil-rich, impact of neutrophils on clot contraction, a key modulator of thrombus stability and obstructiveness, was unknown. This study investigated how neutrophils and neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) affect the rate and extent of platelet-driven clot contraction. Isolated human neutrophils were stimulated with phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA) to induce NETosis, confirmed by fluorescence microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Thrombin-induced clots, formed from whole blood or platelet-rich plasma, were supplemented with non-activated or PMA-activated neutrophils. Clot contraction kinetics and viscoelasticity were analyzed. PMA-activated neutrophils significantly enhanced the rate and final extent of clot contraction compared to controls. This promoting effect was abolished by deoxyribonuclease (DNAse) I, confirming that it was mediated by NETs embedded in the fibrin network. The factor Xa inhibitor rivaroxaban also abrogated this effect, indicating a role for NET-induced endogenous thrombin generation and platelet hyperactivation. Thromboelastography revealed that NETs made clots softer and more deformable. We conclude that activated neutrophils promote clot contraction via NETs embedded in the fibrin network, which enhance platelet contractility via endogenous thrombin production and increase clot deformability, suggesting that inflammatory thrombosis may require treatments addressing this enhanced contractility. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular and Cellular Insights into Platelet Function, 2nd Edition)
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20 pages, 5208 KB  
Article
Multifaceted Effects of Thymoquinone on Platelet Calcium Homeostasis
by Natalia Rukoyatkina, Igor Mindukshev, Diana M. Mikhailova, Mikhail A. Panteleev and Stepan Gambaryan
Cells 2025, 14(22), 1827; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells14221827 - 20 Nov 2025
Viewed by 527
Abstract
Thymoquinone (TQ), the main bioactive ingredient of Nigella sativa, exhibits numerous pharmacological activities and is used for the prevention of many diseases including hypertension and cancer. However, information concerning the effects of TQ on platelets is limited. In this study, we used [...] Read more.
Thymoquinone (TQ), the main bioactive ingredient of Nigella sativa, exhibits numerous pharmacological activities and is used for the prevention of many diseases including hypertension and cancer. However, information concerning the effects of TQ on platelets is limited. In this study, we used the upgraded laser microparticle analyzer LaSca-TMF for simultaneous analysis of platelet shape change, aggregation, and changes in [Ca2+]i. We showed that TQ acutely inhibited platelet aggregation induced by ADP, Trap-6, and CRP; however, the rise of [Ca2+]i was inhibited only in CRP-stimulated platelets, but not in ADP- or Trap-6-stimulated ones. DTT, a thiol-reducing agent, prevented TQ-induced effects in platelets, indicating that protein disulfide isomerases could be involved in the regulation of TQ effects on platelets. Our results, for the first time, demonstrated acute inhibitory effects of TQ on platelet activation induced by GPCRs and ITAM-containing receptors, which were independent of PKA and caspase-3 activation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first example in which complete inhibition of ADP- and Trap-6-, but not CRP-induced, aggregation is accompanied by high [Ca2+]i levels. Additional experimental approaches are required to explain some effects of TQ on calcium homeostasis and TQ could be a valuable molecule for the analysis of calcium homeostasis in platelets and other cells. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular and Cellular Insights into Platelet Function, 2nd Edition)
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Review

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26 pages, 1500 KB  
Review
Platelet Subpopulations in Health and Disease: Heterogeneity, Clinical Associations, and Therapeutic Targeting
by Deepa Gautam, Giovanni Goggi and Elisabeth M. Battinelli
Cells 2026, 15(1), 11; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells15010011 - 20 Dec 2025
Viewed by 597
Abstract
Platelets are often described in simple terms as small anucleate cells that mediate hemostasis, but studies over more than half a century have shown that circulating platelets are heterogeneous in size, density, age, and functional responses. These subtypes not only contribute to normal [...] Read more.
Platelets are often described in simple terms as small anucleate cells that mediate hemostasis, but studies over more than half a century have shown that circulating platelets are heterogeneous in size, density, age, and functional responses. These subtypes not only contribute to normal hemostasis but also play pivotal roles in the pathogenesis of diverse diseases, including cardiovascular, inflammatory, and malignant disorders. Accumulating evidence indicates that alterations in specific platelet subtypes are closely linked to disease onset, progression, and severity, underscoring their importance as both biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets. Current clinical assessments of platelet status rely primarily on platelet count and mean platelet volume (MPV) as part of routine complete blood count analysis. However, these global measures often fail to capture differences in platelet subtypes, which may remain undetected despite their significant contribution to disease pathology. This gap highlights the necessity of moving beyond conventional metrics toward a more nuanced understanding of platelet heterogeneity and its clinical implications. In this review, we discuss the diversity of platelet subpopulations and their roles in health and disease, emphasizing how specific subsets contribute to divergent pathological mechanisms. We also highlight emerging strategies that target defined platelet subpopulations, illustrating how this knowledge could pave the way for more precise diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular and Cellular Insights into Platelet Function, 2nd Edition)
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