PhD Position under the “Role of Glycoprotein Ib-IX-V and Integrin αIIbβ3 in Platelet Biogenesis”

Disruptions in megakaryocyte maturation and platelet formation can be caused by an inherited disorder. Studying platelet biogenesis in humans is very challenging due to the limitations of bone marrow sampling. Although the two main platelet receptors, GPIb-IX-V and integrin αIIbβ3, have been identified and extensively studied for their role in platelet function for decades, their involvement in platelet biogenesis remains unclear. Thus, this project seeks to identify the pathological mechanisms (genes and pathways) that contribute to impaired platelet formation in Bernard-Soulier syndrome (BSS), Glanzmann throm basthenia (GT), and GT-like syndrome. We plan to leverage patient studies, cell models, and transcriptomics to pinpoint key factors involved in pathogenic platelet biogenesis. Should candidate genes and pathways be identified, they will be further explored in pluripotent stem cell-derived disease models and patients with unexplained inherited thrombocytopenia. In the long term, our goal is also to improve platelet biogenesis through in vitro megakaryocyte culture assays, based on insights gained from this research.

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