WEHI PhD Completion Seminar hosted by Professor Sant-Rayn Pasricha

Dr Tishya Indran

PhD Student – Pasricha Laboratory, Infection and Global Health division, WEHI

Platelet biogenesis in human health and disease

 

Davis Auditorium

Join via SLIDO enter code #WEHIphdcompletion

Including Q&A session

Followed by refreshments in Tapestry Lounge

One hundred billion platelets (10^11) are produced from megakaryocytes to maintain a platelet count of 150-400×10⁹/L in humans. How this process occurs remains unresolved. Experiments in mice have visualised proplatelet formation, membrane budding and megakaryocyte fragmentation as potential mechanisms. The aim was to understand how platelets are produced in humans by quantifying the cellular and cytoskeletal processes of megakaryocytes, proplatelets, membrane buds, and platelets in archival human bone marrow trephine sections.

During her PhD, Dr Tishya Indran utilised a novel way of studying megakaryocytes in humans using archival bone marrow trephine samples. Archival bone marrow trephine samples were subjected to antigen retrieval and deparaffinisation. Primary and secondary antibody staining was applied followed by detailed confocal imaging. This method allowed the visualisation and quantification of membrane budding and proplatelet formation in control samples. The final aim of this is study was to understand the mechanisms that go awry in human disorders with elevated platelet counts such as in JAK2 V617F Essential Thrombocythaemia.

All welcome!