Platelet transfusions may be ineffective for bleeding prevention in subjects with inherited platelet disorders (i.e. Glanzmann’s thrombasthenia, Bernard-Soulier syndrome) or in acquired conditions like dual antiplatelet therapy and acquired platelet function disorders. In a recently published research, with the aim to investigate why platelet transfusions have variable effectiveness, researchers assessed mice with defects in each of the proteins’ genes have been evaluated, also by real-time imaging of hemostatic plug formation. Study results suggest that dysfunctional platelets may impair hemostasis by at least two mechanisms—competition for glycoprotein binding sites at the injury site or poor incorporation into the hemostatic plug.
Reference:
Lee RH, Piatt R, Dhenge A, Lozano ML, Palma-Barqueros V, Rivera J, and W Bergmeier. Impaired hemostatic activity of healthy transfused platelets in inherited and acquired platelet disorders: Mechanisms and implications. Science Translational Medicine 2019; 11,eaay0203.