Platelets and Neurodegenerative Diseases: Current Knowledge and Future Perspectives

• Published in: International journal of molecular sciences Vol. 25; no. 12; p. 6292
• Main Authors: Gallo, Antonella, Lipari, Alice, Di Francesco, Silvino, Ianuà, Eleonora, Liperoti, Rosa, Cipriani, Maria Camilla, Martone, Anna Maria, De Candia, Erica, Landi, Francesco, Montalto, Massimo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 01-06-2024; MDPI
• Subjects: Adenosine; Advertising executives; Aging; Alzheimer Disease - metabolism; Alzheimer's disease; Alzheimer’s; amyloid; Amyloid beta-Peptides - metabolism; Animals; Atherosclerosis; Biomarkers; Blood clot; Blood Platelets - metabolism; Clopidogrel; Cognition & reasoning; Cognitive ability; Cognitive Dysfunction - metabolism; cognitive impairment; Dementia; Development and progression; Disease; Glycoproteins; Humans; Memory; Nervous system diseases; Neurodegenerative Diseases - metabolism; Pathogenesis; Patients; Peptides; Platelet Activation; Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors - therapeutic use; platelets; Proteins; Review; Thrombosis; Tirofiban; cognitive impairment; amyloid; Alzheimer’s; platelets
• ISSN: 1422-0067; 1661-6596; 1422-0067
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms25126292

Platelets have a fundamental role in mediating hemostasis and thrombosis. However, more recently, a new idea is making headway, highlighting the importance of platelets as significant actors in modulating immune and inflammatory responses. In particular, platelets have an important role in the development of vascular amyloid-b-peptide(ab) deposits, known to play a relevant role in Alzheimer's disease (AD) through accumulation and deposition within the frontal cortex and hippocampus in the brain. The involvement of platelets in the pathogenesis of AD opens up the highly attractive possibility of applying antiplatelet therapy for the treatment and/or prevention of AD, but conclusive results are scarce. Even less is known about the potential role of platelets in mild cognitive impairment (MCI). The aim to this brief review is to summarize current knowledge on this topic and to introduce the new perspectives on the possible role of platelet activation as therapeutic target both in AD and MCI.