RESUMO
Platelets are known to play a critical role in thrombosis and hemostasis. However, recent studies demonstrated that beyond their role in thrombosis and hemostasis, platelets are also involved in the regulation of tissue repair and regeneration. Increasing number of studies on the roles of platelets in tissue repair showed that various growth factors, chemokines as well as cytokines secreted from activated platelets regulate injured tissue repair and regeneration with the main mechanisms being through regulation of cell migration, proliferation, and angiogenesis, cell apoptosis and survival. Deeply understanding the molecular mechanism of tissue repair induced by platelets might promote their application in clinic. This review discusses the structure and function of platelets, the mechanism of platelet-induced tissue repair as well as clinical application of platelets.