Donate Help Contact The AHA Sign In Home
American Heart Association
Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology
Search: search_blue_button Advanced Search
Published Online
on October 5, 2006

Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology. 2006
Published online before print October 5, 2006, doi: 10.1161/01.ATV.0000248734.89782.37
A more recent version of this article appeared on December 1, 2006
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
26/12/2588    most recent
01.ATV.0000248734.89782.37v1
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Request Permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Samaha, F. S.
Right arrow Articles by Kahn, M. L.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Samaha, F. S.
Right arrow Articles by Kahn, M. L.

Submitted on July 6, 2006
Accepted on September 15, 2006

Novel Platelet and Vascular Roles for Immunoreceptor Signaling

Frederick S. Samaha and Mark L. Kahn *

From Department of Medicine and Division of Cardiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: markkahn{at}mail.med.upenn.edu.

Abstract--The immunoreceptor signaling pathway has classically been defined by its role in mediating intracellular signals downstream of immune receptors on circulating cells, but recent studies have revealed 2 new and unexpected roles for this pathway in vascular biology. In platelets the immunoreceptor signaling pathway is coupled to 2 structurally distinct platelet collagen receptors, glycoprotein VI and integrin {alpha}2{beta}1, and is required for the activation of platelets after exposure to vessel wall collagen during plaque rupture. During vascular development immunoreceptor signaling is required for proper formation of the lymphatic system, a role that has revealed the contribution of hematopoietic endothelial progenitors to that process. In conjunction with the identification of new biological roles in vascular cell types, new molecular mechanisms of activating this signaling pathway have been discovered, including activation by integrins and immunoreceptor tyrosine activation motifs (ITAMs) on receptors that do not function as part of the immune response. Here we discuss some of these recent findings and their implications for vascular biology and the treatment of human vascular diseases.