Introduction
Blood platelets play a major physiological role in stopping bleeding (haemostasis) and, in pathology, in the onset and spread of arterial thrombosis (heart attack, stroke and peripheral arterial disease).
Anomalies in platelet production and function are the cause of serious haemorrhagic diseases. In addition to their involvement in haemostasis and thrombosis, platelets have many roles and participate in complex processes such as vascular inflammation, tissue repair, angiogenesis, atherosclerosis, innate and adaptive immunity, embryonic development and metastatic dissemination.
For more than 30 years, the unit has studied the mechanisms of blood platelet formation and their functions from all angles: biological, genetic, pharmacological, clinical and transfusion. Approaches are both fundamental and applied to biomedical issues.
The unit draws on multidisciplinary expertise in molecular and cellular biology, flow cytometry, electron and confocal microscopy, animal models and a translational and clinical approach.
Research topics
Thrombosis
Studying the role of platelets in thrombotic pathologies including myocardial infarction and stroke. Identifying new antithrombotic therapeutic targets; development of new innovative anti-platelet, anticoagulant and thrombolytic pharmacological molecules; development of experimental models of arterial thrombosis.
Transfusion research
Studying the cellular and molecular mechanisms associated with post-transfusion complications; clinical studies related to transfusion practices; development and characterisation of new transfusion products; continuous improvement of labile blood products and their conservation.
Studying megakaryopoiesis
Studying the normal and pathological mechanisms of blood platelet biogenesis; characterisation of the microenvironment of megakaryopoiesis (stroma, mechanobiology) and the final stages of platelet formation; application to the production of platelets in culture for transfusion purposes.
Haemostatic functions of blood platelets
Diagnosis and characterisation of platelet diseases with the aim of identifying new genes involved in as yet unlabelled diseases. This work is being carried out in close collaboration with the University Hospitals of Strasbourg and the Haematology Department of the French Blood Establishment (Établissement Français du Sang – EFS) in the Grand Est region.
Non-haemostatic functions of platelets
Evaluation of the role of platelets in inflammatory processes and in metastatic dissemination.
Major events and works
Publications
- Garcia-Leon M.J. et al., "Platelets favor the outgrowth of established metastases", Nature Communication, 2024
- Guinard I., Brassard-Jollive N. et al., "Mechanical confinement prevents ectopic platelet release", PNAS, 2024
- Garzon A. et al. " Uniform impact on individual megakaryocytes is essential for efficient in vitro platelet production", Scientific Reports, 2025
- Janus-Bell E. et al. "Cooperation between Platelet β1 and β3 Integrins in the Arrest of Bleeding under Inflammatory Conditions in Mice", ATVB, 2024
- Tacquard C. et al, "Human platelets do not possess the FcεRI and FcεRII receptors for IgE", Allergy, 2023
- Couvidou A. et al., "Marginal zone B cells are responsible for the production of alloantibodies following platelet transfusion in mice", Blood Advances, 2023
- Guinard I. et al., "Matrix stiffness controls megakaryocyte adhesion, fibronectin fibrillogenesis and proplatelet formation through Itgbeta3", Blood Advances, 2023
Patents
- "Procédé de libération de plaquettes en régime turbulent et système de libération de plaquettes pour la mise en oeuvre de ce procédé"; EP4326846A1; Strassel, C., Mallo, L., Do Sacramento, V., Bertrand, E., Knapp, Y., 2024
- "Chimeric molecules comprising an anti-fibrin antibody and an antithrombotic molecule", EP24305981; Mangin PH., Jouffroy K., Fauth C., Yakusheva A., 2024