Platelets and viruses

Silvio Antoniak1,2, Nigel Mackman1,3

  • 1UNC Blood Research Center, Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.

Platelets
|February 22, 2021
PubMed

Platelets play an essential role in maintaining vascular integrity after injury. In addition, platelets contribute to the immune response to pathogens. For instance, they express receptors that mediate binding of viruses, and toll-like receptors that activate the cell in response to pathogen-associated molecular patterns. Platelets can be beneficial and/or detrimental during viral infections. They reduce blood-borne viruses by engulfing the free virus and presenting the virus to neutrophils. However, platelets can also enhance inflammation and tissue injury during viral infections. Here, we discuss the roles of platelets in viral infection.

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