Immunologische Funktionen von Thrombozyten – ein Überblick
Prof. Dr. med. David Messerer, MME, MHBA
Abteilungsleiter
Abteilung für Molekulare Diagnostik, Molekulare Therapie
und Experimentelle Transplantation, Institut für Klinische
Transfusionsmedizin und Immungenetik (IKT) Ulm
Zusammenfassung
Infections or reactivations due to persistent and lytic viruses present serious complications in immunocompromised patients. Adoptive transfer of virusspecific T cells (VSTs) from a suitable donor is an effective strategy to rapidly restore antiviral T cell immunity in the recipient without toxicity or increased risk of developing Graft-versus-Host Disease. The 2019 coronavirus pandemic, caused by severe-acute-respiratory-syndrome-coronavirus-type-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections, also demonstrated that VSTs from convalescent donors can prevent severe disease courses. Development and implementation of third-party donor (TPD) registries and cell banks enable rapid identification of potential donors and the provision of (partially) human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-matched VSTs for clinical application.
Platelets are increasingly recognized for their immunological functions, including in the context of pathogen detection and the modulation of inflammation. Due to the wide variety of diseases associated with acute or chronic inflammation, it is clinically and scientifically important to better understand the role of platelets within the immune system. This will enable the development of novel approaches to, for example, target platelets as amplifiers of inflammation or to attenuate platelet activity within the immune system when needed.
