Platelets

Dr. Michelson is Professor of Pediatrics and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A. He is also the Director of the Center for Platelet Research Studies (www.platelets.org) and the Director of the Thrombosis and Anticoagulation Program at Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center. After receiving his medical degree with honors from the University of Adelaide, Australia, Dr. Michelson continued his medical and research training on a Fulbright Scholarship at Boston Children’s Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Harvard Medical School. In 2019 he received the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH) Esteemed Career Award. Dr. Michelson has been an invited participant in numerous National Institutes of Health working groups, international workshops and consensus conferences. He is the co-organizer and co-chair of the biennial International Platelets Symposium. Dr. Michelson is a past Chairman of the Platelet Physiology Scientific Subcommittee of the ISTH. He has published more than 450 original research articles, original research abstracts, and invited reviews – nearly all on the topic of platelets. Dr. Michelson has been the principal investigator on more than 100 research grants. He has been an invited speaker at over 200 major medical conferences worldwide. Dr. Michelson is an inventor on two awarded and three provisional U.S. patents.

Foreword: A Brief and Highly Selective History of Ideas About Platelets in Health and Disease. Barry S. Coller

Part One: Biology
The Evolution of Mammalian Platelets.
Megakaryocyte Development and Platelet Formation.
Platelet Structure.
Platelet Turnover and Aging.
Platelet Receptors.
The GPIb-IX-V Complex.
Integrin aIIbb3.
Thrombin Receptors.
P-Selectin/PSGL-1 and Other Interactions Between Platelets, Leukocytes, and Endothelium.
Platelet Polymorphisms.
Platelet Secretion.
Signal Transduction During the Initiation, Extension, and Perpetuation of Platelet Plug Formation.
Platelet Thrombus Formation in Flowing Blood.
Interactions Between Platelets and the Coagulation System.
Platelet-Derived Microparticles.
Platelet Function in the Newborn.

Part Two: Tests of Platelet Function
Platelet Count.
The Bleeding Time.
Platelet Aggregation.
Flow Cytometry.
Ultegra Rapid Platelet Function Analyzer.
Platelet Function Analyzer (PFA)-100.
Cone and Plate(let) Analyzer.
Perfusion Chambers.
Animal Models.

Part Three: The Role of Platelets in Disease
Atherosclerosis and Coronary Artery Disease.
Ischemic Cerebrovascular Disease.
Peripheral Vascular Disease.
Diabetes Mellitus.
Renal Disease.
Inflammation.
Antimicrobial Host Defense.
Tumor Growth and Metastasis.
Alzheimer Disease.
Psychiatric Disorders.

Part Four: Disorders of Platelet Number and Function
The Clinical Approach to Disorders of Platelet Number and Function.
Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura.
HIV-1-related Thrombocytopenia.
Heparin-induced Thrombocytopenia.
Drug-induced Thrombocytopenia.
Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura and Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome.
Thrombocytopenia in Pregnancy.
Thrombocytopenia in the Newborn. Pseudothrombocytopenia.
Thrombocytosis and Essential Thrombocythemia.
Inherited Disorders of Platelet Function.
Acquired Disorders of Platelet Function. Cardiopulmonary Bypass.

Part Five: Pharmacology: Antiplatelet Therapy
Aspirin.
GPIIb-IIIa Antagonists.
Clopidogrel and Ticlopidine.
Dipyridamole.
Cilostazol.

Part Six: Pharmacology: Therapy to Increase Platelet Numbers and/or Function
Thrombopoietin.
Interleukin 11.
Desmopressin.
Factor VIIa.

Part Seven: Transfusion Medicine
Platelet Storage and Transfusion.
Platelet Transfusion in Infants and Children.
Platelet Substitutes and Novel Methods of Platelet Preservation.

Part Eight: Gene Therapy
Gene Therapy for Platelet Disorders.