Η αξιοποίηση των αιμοπεταλίων στη μελέτη των νευροβιολογικών διαταραχών

Abstract

Platelets play a key role in hemostasis and are involved in various disease mechanisms, including the disorders of the Central Nervous System. In a surprising way, platelets have several overlapping features with neurons, such as similar subcellular organization, corresponding secretion mechanisms, common expression of proteins etc. Additionally, platelets seem to communicate directly with neuronal cells and to be involved in processes, such as bioactive molecules’ transfer to brain and the adult neurogenesis that occurs mainly in the brain hippocampus, which is essential for synaptic plasticity’s maintaining and regulation of memory and learning abilities. For half a century, platelets have been proposed to serve as an alternative neuronal model and an easily accessible way to study various neurological disorders. Depression and Alzheimer disease are the most studied so far, while the research range to almost every neurological disorder, including those associated with learning and/or cognitive impairments such as Autism Spectrum Disorders and Attention deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. The multidimensional effect of platelets in both brain function and pathophysiology of neurological disorders have been recognized, related research however remains in early stages. Thus, efforts to develop reliable biomarkers and functional models for the diagnosis and the study of neurobiological disorders has not led to feasible results so far. This dissertation is a bibliographic review of the research data that have been produced to date, investigating the way in which platelets exert their multiple actions in both physiological and pathological neurological conditions, as well as the new prospects in this complex but very promising scientific field.