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Updated: Jul 19, 2026

Megakaryocyte Differentiation and Platelet Formation from Human Cord Blood-derived CD34+ Cells
Published on: December 27, 2017
A product of their environment: do megakaryocytes rely on extracellular cues for proplatelet formation?
Mark K Larson1, Steve P Watson
1Centre for Cardiovascular Sciences, Institute for Biomedical Research, Division of Medical Sciences, The Medical School, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK B15 2TT, UK. mklarson@augie.edu
Abstract:
Megakaryocytes have long been observed to form abundant filamentous extensions called proplatelets. A strong body of evidence strongly suggests these proplatelets are the mechanism by which platelets are released into the vasculature. Despite the recent advances in understanding proplatelet architecture, surprisingly little attention has been paid to identifying the ways in which the bone marrow environment regulates proplatelet formation. This review summarises this field and how these findings suggest a spatial and temporal regulation to ensure that platelets are produced in the correct location.
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