title: Platelet microparticles promote neural stem cell proliferation, survival and differentiation.
abstract: Platelet microparticles (PMP) are small subcellular fragments, shed upon platelet activation. PMP host a variety of cytokines and growth factor that were previously shown to affect angiogenesis and postischemic tissue regeneration. This study attempted to explore the effect of PMP on neural stem cell (NSC) proliferation, survival and differentiation. Cells were grown as neurospheres and treated with PMP, or relevant growth factors, sphere size and cell fates were evaluated. PMP treatment led to larger neurospheres with increased cell survival. PMP treatment was comparable with the effect of acceptable single growth factors such as fibroblastic growth factor (FGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and platelet derived growth factor (PDGF). PMP treatment also increased the differentiation potential of NSC to glia and neurons. Specific growth factor inhibitors only partly blocked these effects, which were associated with increments in ERK and Akt phosphorylation. In this study, we show that various growth factors contained within the PMP promote neuronal cell proliferation, survival and differentiation. The results suggest a role for platelet microparticles in augmenting endogenous neural progenitor and stem cells angiogenesis and neurogenesis that might be utilized for treatment following brain injury.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Peritz and Chantal Scheinberg Cerebrovascular Research Laboratory, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: Yael
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hayon
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Dashevsky
authors.forename: Ela
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Shai
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Varon
authors.forename: Ronen R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Leker
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000502:physiology; D055252:Cell-Derived Microparticles / Q000502:physiology*; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D058953:Neural Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology