Platelets in inflammation and thrombosis.

For many years it has been known that platelets play an important role in thrombosis and hemostasis. In recent times, however, it has become evident that platelets also have relevant functions in inflammation. It was shown that thrombosis and inflammation share several key molecular mechanisms and in fact are 2 intrinsically linked processes. In this review, we intend to give a short overview with emphasis on work stemming from our laboratory.