# Defining the cause and consequence of aging-specific platelet specification from hematopoietic stem cells

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SANTA CRUZ · 2024 · $655,224

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
The goal of this proposal is to understand the mechanisms regulating platelet (Plt) production and function upon
aging. Plts play essential roles in hemostasis, the process of preventing bleeding. Aging is associated with a
dramatic increase in platelet-related disorders, including alterations in Plt numbers (thrombocytosis or
thrombocytopenia) and in Plt hyperreactivity. Plts have a very short half-life of only a few days and are therefore
continually produced by hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). HSCs are long-lived and undergo a number of
molecular and functional changes with age; thus, we postulate that Plt aging is a consequence of properties
inherited by their long-lived HSC source. Excitingly, we have discovered that the differentiation pathways of Plt
production are different in young and old mice. We hypothesize that the aging-specific Plt pathway contributes
to the dramatically increased risk for Plt-related disorders in the elderly. Here, we propose to investigate the
molecular and cellular mechanisms driving the aging-specific differentiation path, and the consequences for Plt
function and aging physiology. Our discovery of a new, age-specific differentiation path from HSCs to Plts
provides a unique opportunity for novel discoveries towards mitigating Plt-related disorders, including thrombosis
and cardiovascular disease, in the elderly.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10882878
- **Project number:** 2R01AG062879-06
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SANTA CRUZ
- **Principal Investigator:** CAMILLA FORSBERG
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $655,224
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 2019-09-15 → 2029-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10882878

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10882878, Defining the cause and consequence of aging-specific platelet specification from hematopoietic stem cells (2R01AG062879-06). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-02 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10882878. Licensed CC0.

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