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Isolation and Characterization of Microvesicles from Peripheral Blood
06:03

Isolation and Characterization of Microvesicles from Peripheral Blood

Published on: January 6, 2017

Membrane microparticles in VTE and cancer

Nigel S Key1, Pichika Chantrathammachart, Patrick W Moody

  • 1Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. Nigel_key@med.unc.edu

Thrombosis Research
|May 4, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Microparticles (MPs), small cellular vesicles, are linked to cancer-associated thrombosis. While evidence suggests MPs play a role, further clinical studies are needed to confirm causality in cancer patients.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Hematology
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Microparticles (MPs) are cellular vesicles released during apoptosis or activation.
  • Cancer patients frequently exhibit increased thrombotic propensity.
  • The role of MPs in cancer-associated thrombosis is an area of active research.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the evidence linking microparticles to thrombosis in cancer patients.
  • To evaluate the pathophysiologic role of host or tumor cell-derived MPs.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of existing studies on microparticles and cancer-associated thrombosis.
  • Evaluation of pathophysiologic data.

Main Results:

  • Considerable data support a role for MPs in cancer-associated thrombosis.
  • Evidence suggests both host and tumor cell-derived MPs contribute.
  • Causality between MPs and cancer-associated thrombosis is not yet definitively established.

Conclusions:

  • Microparticles are implicated in the pathophysiology of cancer-associated thrombosis.
  • Further prospective clinical studies are required to establish a definitive causative relationship.
  • Ongoing research aims to clarify the role of MPs in cancer-related clotting disorders.

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