Fatal Bleeding
Platelets are commonly known as the “first responders” that act in blood clotting and wound closure. However, when there are too few platelets in the blood tissue, it can also trigger fatal bleeding. The reason for this bleeding has long been a mystery, but now, thanks to CiM scientists from the University of Münster, we have answers. In a current publication in The Journal of Experimental Medicine (JEM) scientists working with Dr. Carina Hillgruber, a scientist from the Medical Faculty, and Professor Dr. Tobias Görge, a CiM group leader and senior physician in the Department of Dermatology at the University Hospital Muenster (UKM), found the culprits. White blood cells called leukocytes creep across blood vessel walls in response to inflammation, but when the blood´s platelet level is too low, this normal immune response can actually cause the dangerous bleeding. The long-term idea is, that if these immune cells can be stopped from crossing through blood vessel walls, especially in situations where platelet loss is common, such as during a transplantation or chemotherapy, these fatal bleedings can be prevented.
The publication: Hillgruber C, Poppelmann B, Weishaupt C, Steingraber AK, Wessel F, Berdel WE, Gessner JE, Ho-Tin-Noe B, Vestweber D, Goerge T. Blocking neutrophil diapedesis prevents hemorrhage during thrombocytopenia. J Exp Med 2015: epub.