Drug-induced thrombocytopenia: Focus on platelet apoptosis

Thrombocytopenia is a serious and potentially fatal complication of drug therapy that results either from a decrease in bone marrow platelet production or the excessive destruction of circulating platelets. Although multiple mechanisms are responsible for deregulated platelet clearance, the role of programmed platelet death (apoptosis) in drug-induced thrombocytopenia has been relatively under-investigated until recently. Here we review apoptotic signaling pathways in platelets, with a focus on current data that provide mechanistic insights into drug-induced apoptosis and thrombocytopenia.