Thrombocytes, also known as blood platelets, are small, nucleus-free cells in the blood that play a central role in blood clotting and wound healing.
What are thrombocytes?
Thrombocytes are the smallest cells in the blood - around 2 - 4 µm in size. They have no cell nucleus and develop in the bone marrow from large precursor cells, the megakaryocytes. These release thrombocytes into the blood by constriction. Their lifespan is around 7 - 10 days.
Function and life cycle
The main task of platelets, apart from wound healing, is haemostasis:
- Primary haemostasis: In the event of injury, thrombocytes adhere to damaged vessel walls and form a temporary clot.
- Secondary haemostasis: They support the formation of fibrin, which stabilises the clot.
- Wound healing: platelets release growth factors that promote healing.
After their lifespan, platelets are mainly broken down in the spleen.
Relevance in research and diagnostics
In biomedical research, platelets serve as a model for cell adhesion, aggregation and signal transduction. They are also a central topic in diagnostics, particularly in the investigation of thrombocytopenia (too few platelets) and thrombocytopathy (functional disorders).
Cell separation of thrombocytes
pluriSelect offers customised solutions for the enrichment of platelets:
These methods enable rapid, reproducible and scalable purification of platelets - ideal for research laboratories, clinics and biotech companies.
Future prospects
Research into platelets goes far beyond traditional blood coagulation. Topics such as platelet function in inflammation, platelets in the immune response and platelet-based therapies open up exciting perspectives for therapy and diagnostics.
Conclusion
Platelets are more than just blood clotting - they are a central topic in modern cell biology. With innovative separation technologies such as those from pluriSelect, new research questions can be addressed efficiently and precisely.