Platelets are small enucleate cells that circulate in the blood playing a central role in haemostasis, helping to heal any vascular damage by forming a vascular plug.

Pathologically, platelet activation underlies thrombotic and heart disease, now recognised as the biggest killer of mankind in the western world.

We are currently using a combination of Proteomics technology and classical biochemistry to unravel the signal transduction events following the activation of the most relevant receptors in platelets, such as the thrombin or the collagen receptors. We are focussing our studies on healthy and diseased platelets in order to identify novel biomarkers and drug targets that may help to treat / diagnose those cardiovascular diseases where unwanted platelet activation plays a role.

Basic components of a platform of proteomics

This research is in collaboration with Prof. Steve P. Watson and Dr. Yotis Senis, from the University of Birmingham (UK), and the Oxford Glycoproteomics Group from the University of Oxford (UK), and is funded by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science and the Galician Government (Spain).

Main researcher: Ángel García-Alonso, Ph. D.

• GPCRs

• Translational
  research

• Fine-tuning

• New
  techonologies(IT)

• study platelet