Beyond the thrombus: Platelet‐inspired nanomedicine approaches in inflammation, immune response, and cancer

Abstract

The traditional role of platelets is in the formation of blood clots for physiologic (e.g., in hemostasis) or pathologic (e.g., in thrombosis) functions. The cellular and subcellular mechanisms and signaling in platelets involved in these functions have been extensively elucidated and new knowledge continues to emerge, resulting in various therapeutic developments in this area for the management of hemorrhagic or thrombotic events. Nanomedicine, a field involving design of nanoparticles with unique biointeractive surface modifications and payload encapsulation for diseasetargeted drug delivery, has become an important component of such therapeutic development. Beyond their traditional role in blood clotting, platelets have been implicated to play crucial mechanistic roles in other diseases including inflammation, immune response, and cancer, via direct cellular interactions, as well as secretion of soluble factors that aid in the disease microenvironment. To date, the development of nanomedicine systems that leverage these broader roles of platelets has been limited. Additionally, another exciting area of research that has emerged in recent years is that of platelet-derived extracellular vesicles (PEVs) that can directly and indirectly influence physiological and pathological processes. This makes PEVs a unique paradigm for platelet-inspired therapeutic design. This review aims to provide mechanistic insight into the involvement of platelets and PEVs beyond hemostasis and thrombosis, and to discuss the current state of the art in the development of platelet-inspired therapeutic technologies in these areas, with an emphasis on future opportunities.

Blood cell counts can predict adverse events of immune checkpoint inhibitors: A systematic review and meta-analysis

“…Platelets, as primary inflammatory effector cells, are involved in innate and adaptive immune responses ( 45 ), and stimulation of Toll-like receptor (TLR)-containing platelets by pathogens causes activation of neutrophils and promotes recruitment and interaction. Activated platelets are able to secrete pro-inflammatory factors involved in pathogen killing ( 46 ). Neutrophils, which are also involved in the immune process, affect the cytotoxic effect of lymphocytes, thus weakening the antitumor effect due to lymphocyte activation during ICI treatment ( 47 ).…”

Expanding applications of allogeneic platelets, platelet lysates, and platelet extracellular vesicles in cell therapy, regenerative medicine, and targeted drug delivery

“…p-EVs appear to be particularly potent vehicles to deliver their therapeutic payloads specifically to cancer cells [ 262 , 317 ], with the potential to improve retention within the tumor microenvironment (TME), minimize off-target effects, and reduce systemic toxicity [ 8 , 75 , 317 ]. It was speculated that in inflammatory and autoimmune diseases involving a functional role a platelets, p-EVs could be used to deliver immunosuppressive agents or anti-inflammatory drugs to sites of inflammation or autoimmune activity, potentially improving the treatment of conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and atherosclerosis [ 8 , 318 ]. In cardiovascular diseases, p-EVs can interact with endothelial cells, promote angiogenesis, and modulate cardiovascular functions.…”

Application of Advanced Technologies—Nanotechnology, Genomics Technology, and 3D Printing Technology—In Precision Anesthesia: A Comprehensive Narrative Review

“…Nanotechnology is defined as the control of substances sized 1–100 nm [ 17 ]. Nanomedicine involves unique bio-interactive surface modifications and disease-targeting drug-loaded encapsulated nanoparticles [ 18 ]. As shown in Figure 1 , several nanocarriers have been recently established in the field of medicine, including nanoparticles, nanoliposomes, liposomes, micelles, solid lipid particles, surfactant vesicles, and other nanodevices.…”

“…In addition, the evidence described in this article is limited to anesthesia. It does not extensively cover some anesthesia-related areas, including general anesthesia as well as platelet and red blood cell transfusion [ 18 ]. However, there are currently ongoing clinical studies on more advanced technologies.…”