Grant: Travel Awards - Institute Community Support

Platelets are small blood cells that are essential for blood clotting and wound healing. Platelets are produced by the bone marrow and survive in the bloodstream for up to 10 days, after which they are phagocytosed, or "eaten" by larger cells and therefore removed from the bloodstream. Platelets are more easily removed when they present specific "eat-me" signals on their surface. The platelet's structural framework, or cytoskeleton, is stabilized by many different proteins, including a protein called filamin A. Platelets lacking filamin A show a stronger "eat-me" signal which may lead to low platelet counts. The goal of this research is to identify the exact signals that control platelet survival and death at the molecular level, and how these signals are controlled by the cytoskeleton. A better understanding of platelet survival at the molecular level should lead to better treatments for people who suffer from chronically low platelet counts.