Synthetic Platelets Have Been Created By Researchers - For Ceasing Bleeding & Achieve Wound Healing

Hello, Everyone!

We all must have observed that when we come across a bruise or an injury; bleeding starts and continues for some time but after some time the blood oozing out from the bruise or an injury miraculously stops owing to the formation of a clot. This is due to the platelets in our blood adhering to the injured blood vessel. A perfect example of wonderful human anatomy right...!

Now there is a latest buzz in Medicare about platelets.

The Latest Buzz: Now researchers have created; synthetic platelets to prevent blood loss owing to bleeding from a bruise or an injury and further achieve greater healing. The buzz about platelets is; that synthetic platelets have been created by researchers to prevent blood loss owing to bleeding from a bruise or an injury and further achieve greater healing. The trials have shown that the synthetic platelets have worked fine in the animal models however; the clinical trials are yet to be done on humans.

The synthetic platelets are deformable similar to our natural blood platelets which implies these platelets can take any shape. These platelets are engineered to rush to the specific injured site and are compatible with all blood types.

These synthetic platelets are store-friendly and transport-friendly, making them accessible to patients in severe clinical situations in an expedited manner for instance in an ambulance or a Warfield.

But what are these platelets, how do they get formed and where do they get formed? How are they pivotal to our body's defense mechanism? We will uncover all these interesting indicators in this blog post.

So let's begin.

We will delve into the fundamentals first, by understanding what are platelets.

Platelets: Also known as Thrombocytes, are small colorless fragments in our blood that aid healing through clot formation and ceasing bleeding or guarding us against bleeding. Due to this miraculous naturally occurring phenomenon, the platelets are also referred to as our body's natural bandage.

Now the question arises where are these platelets generated? Well, the platelets are generated in the bone marrow which is a soft tissue present in our bones; are generated by megakaryocytes -the largest cells in the bone marrow. The bone marrow synthesizes red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. The life span of platelets in our bloodstream is 8-10 days; once they are created in bone marrow and flow in our bloodstream.

The bone marrow synthesizes red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.

Pic Source: https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentTypeID=160&ContentID=36#:~:text=If%20one%20of%20your%20blood,stop%20bleeding%20is%20called%20adhesion.

The platelets get their name because they are generated in the form of a plate.

Now we will further understand the role of platelets in the cessation of bleeding.

Role Of Platelets In Ceasing Or Preventing Blood Loss:-

If an injury happens to one of our blood vessels then the chemical signals are mediated from injured blood vessels to the platelets. Next, clot formation takes place due to incoming platelets rushing toward the injured site and forming a plug or a blood clot to manage the damage that occurs there. Two mechanisms play a vital role here. The first is ADHESION and the second one is AGGREGATION. Adhesion as the name suggests is the process of spreading across the platelets around the surface of the injured blood vessel because of the growth of sticky tentacles which allows them to get stuck or adhere to one another; Once these platelets arrive at the injured site. Then additional platelets are made to rush toward the injured site by sending chemical signals to gravitate more platelets. Henceforth, aggregation of platelets happens in which these additional platelets pile onto the clot.

Now we will understand the healthy platelet count and what happens if the healthy platelet count rises or falls beyond a certain level. But first, we will focus on what is a healthy platelet count.

A Healthy Platelet Count: This ranges from 1,50,000- 4,50,000 platelets present per microliter of our blood.

Platelets Count < 1,50,000: In a condition called THROMBOCYTOPENIA; the platelets are generated in few numbers or there is a disruption in the created platelets and the platelet count falls below 1,50,000. The low platelet count can be recognized by an internal bleed or bleeding inside the skin surface which we observe as a bruise. Also apart from the internal bleeding, the bleeding can be triggered from outside our body from which there is a continuous loss of blood, or in the form of a nosebleed. This serious condition Thrombocytopenia happens due to many factors such as some medicines, infections, weak immune system, pregnancy, cancer, liver ailment, and many more.

Platelets Count > 4,50,000: In a condition called Thrombocytosis, the platelets generated in the bone marrow rise beyond 4,50,000. This condition does not occur to any problem in the bone marrow; however, some other symptom or disease triggers the bone marrow to generate more platelets such as an infection, inflammation, anemia, specific cancers, and some reactions to the medicines.Th symptoms of this condition are not serious though and the platelet count gets back to a healthy count when other symptoms or a disease fades away. People suffering from Thrombocytosis are less prone to bleeding and blood clots.

Platelet Dysfunction: This condition implies that their formation in the bone marrow is normal, however; their working mechanism is not normal or is impaired i.e. they do not function in the manner they should. A multitude of peculiar illnesses are associated with platelet dysfunction.

Many medicines tend to be the culprit for this condition. One such medicine is Aspirin. It is vital to understand which medicines influence platelets and which might tend to increase the risk of bleeding. Therefore, it is essential to discuss with the doctor before going on any medications so that we are well-acquainted with the possible risks and uses of the medications.

Now we will understand the importance of Platelets.

Why Are Platelets Important: Platelets play a vital role in pulling through surgeries for example an organ transplant, sustaining traumatic injuries, battling cancer, and fighting against chronic diseases.

The donor platelets are given to patients having low platelet count or platelet dysfunction.

Till now we have understood that platelets are generated in the bone marrow. But what is bone marrow?

Bone Marrow: Located in the center of our bones, the bone marrow is a spongy substance that creates bone marrow stem cells and other substances which eventually generate blood cells. Every cell generated by bone marrow is pivotal for our body. For instance, red blood cells carry oxygen to tissues in our body, the platelets ensure to cease bleeding and the white blood cells fight through infections in our body.

Now we will understand why there is a need for synthetic platelets.

Need For Synthetic Platelets: Several medical situations call for urgent platelet transfusions such as situations where someone is facing severe bleeding, or for patients undergoing surgery or are getting chemotherapy. At present these patients get platelets gathered from the donors with a compatible blood type.This is difficult because the platelets supply is bounded and the platelets have a limited shelf life and they must be kept in controlled conditions.

Conclusively, we can say that platelets are pivotal for our normal body functions and synthetic platelets can revolutionize current medical healthcare, by winning challenging medical conditions and saving hundreds and thousands of lives.

Thank You.

References:

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-04-synthetic-platelets-stanch-animal.html

https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentTypeID=160&ContentID=36#:~:text=If%20one%20of%20your%20blood,stop%20bleeding%20is%20called%20adhesion.