Publications by authors named "Larissa Belz"
Article Synopsis
- Platelet homeostasis is vital for blood vessel stability and immune response, but the mechanisms behind the replenishment of their precursor cells (megakaryocytes) are not well understood.
- Researchers used intravital imaging to discover that plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) act as sensors in the bone marrow that detect dying megakaryocytes and stimulate the proliferation of their progenitor cells through the release of IFNα.
- The study highlights that while pDCs usually help fight viral infections, their activation by viruses like SARS-CoV-2 disrupts their monitoring function, leading to an overproduction of megakaryocytes.
Impairment of vascular integrity is a hallmark of inflammatory diseases. We recently reported that single immune-responsive platelets migrate and reposition themselves to sites of vascular injury to prevent bleeding. However, it remains unclear how single platelets preserve vascular integrity once encountering endothelial breaches.
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