Confining thrombus morphospace through targeted inhibition of platelet mechanosensory signalingShow others and affiliations
2026 (English)In: Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis, ISSN 1538-7933, E-ISSN 1538-7836, Vol. 24, no 1, p. 255-270Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
Background: While current antiplatelets protect against thrombosis, their clinical utility is limited by an elevated risk of bleeding. Objectives: To understand how structure-function relations in the hemostatic system may be leveraged into improve risk/benefit ratios of antiplatelet therapies. Methods: We developed a deep learning-based framework to track the activities of large numbers of platelets in vivo, enabling a detailed comparative assessment of the effects of therapeutic interventions on the evolving structural hierarchy of the hemostatic response. Results: Unlike conventional antiplatelets targeting paracrine signaling, selective pharmaceutical inhibition of platelet mechanosensory signaling via PI3KC2 alpha preserved the initial build-up of thrombi following vascular injury to high-flow mesenteric veins. However, as this burst of hemostatic activity subsided, inhibition of platelet mechanosensory signaling caused localized reductions of platelet intracellular calcium ion levels ([Ca2+]i) in shear-exposed peripheral thrombus subregions, inhibiting the formation of platelet clusters capable of withstanding the drag forces of the blood flow. As a consequence, platelets in these subregions detached, became elongated, and/or slid along the thrombus surface. On a macrostructural level, this selective destabilization prevented sustained physical expansion of thrombi outside the perimeters of vascular injuries while preserving platelet packing density in thrombus subregions close to vascular injuries. Conclusion: Collectively, our results highlight platelet mechanosensory signaling as a significant driver of sustained platelet population growth after the initial agonistdriven phase of thrombus expansion. We show that pharmaceutical targeting of this pathway enforced the convergence of thrombus growth trajectories toward a rheologically favorable setpoint without compromising the structural integrity of thrombus subregions that are critical for hemostasis.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Elsevier BV , 2026. Vol. 24, no 1, p. 255-270
Keywords [en]
blood platelets, cellular mechanotransduction, deep learning, hemostasis, thrombosis
National Category
Hematology
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-378238DOI: 10.1016/j.jtha.2025.08.013ISI: 001662236100005PubMedID: 40907704Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-105024977181OAI: oai:DiVA.org:kth-378238DiVA, id: diva2:2046623
Note
QC 20260317
2026-03-172026-03-172026-03-17Bibliographically approved