A cutting-edge review of the latest findings on the complexities of
platelet function and the various means of inhibiting platelet clot
formation. The authors delineate an up-to-date picture of platelet
biology and describe methods for assessing platelet function, including
the commonly used platelet aggregation, thromboxane production,
procoagulant function, platelet function under flow, and the expression
of platelet activation markers. The focus is both on the technology and
the outcome of research on platelets, including the fast developing
fields of proteomics and genomics and their application to platelet
research. The clinical applications of the various methods for the
assessment of platelet function in vivo, as well as antiplatelet
therapy, are fully discussed.