Fishing for platelets.
Platelets can be recruited by an ultra-large multimer fraction of von Willebrand factor extending from the endothelial surface into the plasma flow as long strings. In this issue of Blood, Huang and colleagues investigate the complex structure of these fishing lines and uncover a role for alpha(v)beta(3) integrin as their anchor to the endothelial surface.
Cutler
Daniel F
DF
University College London, London, UK.