Decoding the role of platelets in tumour metastasis: enigmatic accomplices and intricate targets for anticancer treatments

Jessie Zhao; Angela Huang; Johannes Zeller; Karlheinz Peter; James D McFadyen

doi:10.3389/fimmu.2023.1256129

Decoding the role of platelets in tumour metastasis: enigmatic accomplices and intricate targets for anticancer treatments

Front Immunol. 2023 Dec 1:14:1256129. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1256129. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Jessie Zhao^{1

2}, Angela Huang³, Johannes Zeller^{3

4}, Karlheinz Peter^{3

5

6

7}, James D McFadyen^{1

2

3

6}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Clinical Haematology, Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, VI, Australia.
² Australian Centre for Blood Diseases, Monash University, Melbourne, VI, Australia.
³ Atherothrombosis and Vascular Biology Laboratory, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, VI, Australia.
⁴ Department of Plastic and Hand Surgery, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Medical Faculty of the University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
⁵ Department of Cardiology, Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, VI, Australia.
⁶ Department of Cardiometabolic Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VI, Australia.
⁷ Department of Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VI, Australia.

Abstract

The canonical role of platelets as central players in cardiovascular disease by way of their fundamental role in mediating thrombosis and haemostasis is well appreciated. However, there is now a large body of experimental evidence demonstrating that platelets are also pivotal in various physiological and pathophysiological processes other than maintaining haemostasis. Foremost amongst these is the emerging data highlighting the key role of platelets in driving cancer growth, metastasis and modulating the tumour microenvironment. As such, there is significant interest in targeting platelets therapeutically for the treatment of cancer. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to provide an overview of how platelets contribute to the cancer landscape and why platelets present as valuable targets for the development of novel cancer diagnosis tools and therapeutics.

Keywords: anti platelet therapy; cancer; metastasis (cancer metastasis); platelet; tumour microenvirnonment.

Publication types

Review
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Blood Platelets / physiology
Hemostasis
Humans
Neoplasms* / drug therapy
Thrombosis* / etiology
Tumor Microenvironment

Grants and funding

JZ is supported by a RTP PhD Scholarship, AH is supported by a Wheaton Fellowship, Monash University, Gordan Wheaton Fellowship and the RTP PhD Scholarship. KP is supported by a NHMRC Investigator Grant. JM is supported by a Heart Foundation Future Leader Fellowship.