New roles of platelets in inflammation

Abstract

Platelets are circulating anucleated cytoplasmic fragments with a major role in hemostasis and thrombosis. However, in the past few decades, it has become clear that they also have a major role in inflammatory processes. Platelets can contribute to inflammation directly by secreting proinflammatory molecules or indirectly by recognizing and scavenging invading microbes. In addition, platelets modulate key functions of both endothelial and immune cells, which results in an amplification of both the initiation as well as the resolution of the inflammatory and immune response. In this mini-review, the role of platelets in inflammation and two recent main articles about the so-called inflammatory hemostasis and the contribution of platelets to macrophage extracellular traps release, are critically analyzed.