Full Text:
Using a unique, single-molecule force measurement tool, a research team has developed a clearer understanding of how platelets sense the mechanical forces they encounter during bleeding to initiate the cascading process that leads to blood clotting. Beyond providing a better understanding of this vital bodily process, research into a mechanoreceptor molecule that triggers clotting could provide a potential new target for therapeutic intervention.
Excessive clotting can lead to heart attack and stroke -- major killers worldwide -- while insufficient clotting allows life-threatening bleeding.Image credit: Lining (Arnold) Ju
