Physical forces regulating hemostasis and thrombosis: Vessels, cells, and molecules in illustrated review.

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Jessica Lin, Emory University; Matthew G. Sorrells, Colorado School of Mines; Wilbur Lam, Emory University; Keith B. Neeves, University of Colorado Denver
• Language: English
• Date: 2021-07
• Publisher: Wiley
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2021 The Authors. Research and Practice in Thrombosis and Haemostasis published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH).
• License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/rth2.12548
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Res Pract Thromb Haemost
• Volume: 5
• Issue: 5
• Start Page: e12548
• End Page: e12548
• Keywords: fibrin; biomechanical phenomena; blood platelets; rheology; von Willebrand factor; hemodynamics
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Medicine and Surgery; Biology, Molecular; Biology, Cell

Abstract

This illustrated review focuses on the physical forces that regulate hemostasis and thrombosis. These phenomena span from the vessel to the cellular to the molecular scales. Blood is a complex fluid with a viscosity that varies with how fast it flows and the size of the vessel through which it flows. Blood flow imposes forces on the vessel wall and blood cells that dictates the kinetics, structure, and stability of thrombi. The mechanical properties of blood cells create a segmented flowing fluid whereby red blood cells concentrate in the vessel core and platelets marginate to the near-wall region. At the vessel wall, shear stresses are highest, which requires a repertoire of receptors with different bond kinetics to roll, tether, adhere, and activate on inflamed endothelium and extracellular matrices. As a thrombus grows and then contracts, forces regulate platelet aggregation as well as von Willebrand factor function and fibrin mechanics. Forces can also originate from platelets as they respond to the external forces and sense the stiffness of their local environment.