Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 20, 2025

Comprehensive Analysis of Procoagulant Platelets Exhibiting Features of Necrosis, Apoptosis and Platelet Activation
Published on: May 23, 2025
Platelets amplify endotheliopathy in COVID-19
Tessa J Barrett1, MacIntosh Cornwell1,2, Khrystyna Myndzar1
1Department of Medicine, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
COVID-19 platelets release myeloid-related protein (MRP) 8/14, activating endothelial cells and promoting inflammation and hypercoagulability. Targeting platelet P2Y12 may reduce these harmful interactions in COVID-19 patients.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Biology
- Immunology
- Infectious Disease
Background:
- COVID-19 is associated with a hyperactive platelet phenotype.
- Platelet interactions with endothelial cells (ECs) are critical in disease pathogenesis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effector cell properties of COVID-19 platelets on endothelial cells.
- To identify molecular mechanisms driving COVID-19-associated endotheliopathy.
Main Methods:
- Integration of endothelial cell and platelet RNA sequencing.
- Analysis of S100A8 and S100A9 expression and myeloid-related protein (MRP) 8/14 release.
- Assessment of platelet-derived MRP8/14 effects on endothelial cell activation and function.
Main Results:
- COVID-19 platelet-released factors promote an inflammatory, hypercoagulable endotheliopathy.
- S100A8 and S100A9 transcripts are enriched in COVID-19 platelets and induced by SARS-CoV-2 infection.
- Platelet-derived MRP8/14 activates ECs, contributing to poor clinical outcomes in COVID-19.
Conclusions:
- Platelets play a significant, previously unappreciated role in COVID-19 pathogenesis via activation-induced endotheliopathy.
- Myeloid-related protein (MRP) 8/14 is a key mediator of platelet-endothelial interactions in COVID-19.
- Targeting platelet P2Y12 presents a potential therapeutic strategy to mitigate COVID-19-related inflammation.
More Related Videos
05:49Procoagulant Platelet Characterization by Measuring Phosphatidylserine Exposure and Microvesicle Release from Human Purified Platelets
Published on: November 29, 2024
09:19In Vitro Microfluidic Disease Model to Study Whole Blood-Endothelial Interactions and Blood Clot Dynamics in Real-Time
Published on: May 24, 2020
Related Concept Videos
Formation of the Platelet Plug
As the injured blood vessel contracts, endothelial cells undergo contraction, revealing collagen fibers in the basement membrane and underlying connective tissue. Furthermore, the plasma membrane of endothelial cells becomes adhesive, preparing the site for platelet adhesion. Platelets...
Structure and Function of Platelets
Platelets are continually replenished, circulating in the bloodstream for 9-12 days before being removed by phagocytes, primarily in the spleen. A microliter of circulating blood contains between 150,000 and 450,000...
Antiplatelet Drugs: Prostaglandin Synthesis, P2Y12 and Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa Inhibitors
Prostaglandin synthesis inhibitors, exemplified by the widely known aspirin, wield their power by irreversibly acetylating...
Anticoagulant Drugs: Low-Molecular-Weight Heparins
Clot Retraction and Fibrinolysis
Introduction to Hemostasis
The three phases of hemostasis involve many clotting factors present in plasma and several substances released by platelets and injured tissue cells. It is a fast, localized,...