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Updated: May 23, 2026

Comprehensive Analysis of Procoagulant Platelets Exhibiting Features of Necrosis, Apoptosis and Platelet Activation
Published on: May 23, 2025
Reprogrammed apoptotic platelets drive rapid hemostasis through phosphatidylserine and prostaglandin E2 signaling in
Peina Wang1,2,3, Shuailun Du1,4, Suying Wu1,4
1Beijing Key Laboratory for Drug Delivery Nanocarriers, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, China.
Uncontrolled hemorrhage in trauma, surgical, organ-related, and endoscopic settings, particularly in patients receiving antiplatelet therapy, remains difficult to manage clinically. Here, we introduce a high phosphatidylserine (PS)-exposed procoagulant platelet (hPPL) derivative reprogrammed from isolated platelets via calcium ionophore A23187-induced apoptosis, enriched in surface PS and capable of driving rapid hemostasis. Retaining a protein profile akin to resting platelets, hPPLs robustly promoted platelet activation and aggregation in human- and rat-derived plasma and whole blood in vitro and demonstrated superior hemostatic efficacy compared with clinical thrombin and commercial hemostatic materials [microporous polysaccharide hemispheres (MPH) and FIBRILLAR] in murine liver injury and porcine gastric ulcer bleeding models, even under antiplatelet treatment. Mechanistically, hPPLs up-regulated prostaglandin E synthase (PTGES), thereby increasing prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production and its receptor 3 (EP3)-mediated platelet activation, which reinforced PS-mediated clot formation. Our findings identified an apoptosis-driven PTGES-PGE2-EP3 signaling axis that augmented PS-mediated coagulation in murine and porcine hemorrhage models and established the hPPL derivative as a topical hemostatic agent with translational potential for organ-related bleeding and distinct advantages in managing complex endoscopic hemorrhages under both physiological and coagulopathic conditions.
Uncontrolled hemorrhage in trauma, surgical, organ-related, and endoscopic settings, particularly in patients receiving antiplatelet therapy, remains difficult to manage clinically. Here, we introduce a high phosphatidylserine (PS)-exposed procoagulant platelet (hPPL) derivative reprogrammed from isolated platelets via calcium ionophore A23187-induced apoptosis, enriched in surface PS and capable of driving rapid hemostasis. Retaining a protein profile akin to resting platelets, hPPLs robustly promoted platelet activation and aggregation in human- and rat-derived plasma and whole blood in vitro and demonstrated superior hemostatic efficacy compared with clinical thrombin and commercial hemostatic materials [microporous polysaccharide hemispheres (MPH) and FIBRILLAR] in murine liver injury and porcine gastric ulcer bleeding models, even under antiplatelet treatment. Mechanistically, hPPLs up-regulated prostaglandin E synthase (PTGES), thereby increasing prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production and its receptor 3 (EP3)-mediated platelet activation, which reinforced PS-mediated clot formation. Our findings identified an apoptosis-driven PTGES-PGE2-EP3 signaling axis that augmented PS-mediated coagulation in murine and porcine hemorrhage models and established the hPPL derivative as a topical hemostatic agent with translational potential for organ-related bleeding and distinct advantages in managing complex endoscopic hemorrhages under both physiological and coagulopathic conditions.
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