title: Antiplatelet therapy: in search of the 'magic bullet'.
abstract: The central importance of platelets in the development of arterial thrombosis and cardiovascular disease is well established. No other single cell type is responsible for as much morbidity and mortality as the platelet and, as a consequence, it represents a major target for therapeutic intervention. The growing awareness of the importance of platelets is reflected in the increasing number of patients receiving antiplatelet therapy, a trend that is likely to continue in the future. There are, however, significant drawbacks with existing therapies, including issues related to limited efficacy and safety. The discovery of a 'magic bullet' that selectively targets pathological thrombus formation without undermining haemostasis remains elusive, although recent progress in unravelling the molecular events regulating thrombosis has provided promising new avenues to solve this long-standing problem.
authors.affiliation: The Australian Centre for Blood Diseases, Department of Medicine, Monash University, Arnold Street, Box Hill Hospital, Box Hill, Victoria 3128, Australia. Shaun.Jackson@med.monash.edu.au
authors.forename: Shaun P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.forename: Simone M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Schoenwaelder
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors