Highly read on jem.rupress.org 24 Mar–23 Apr

Dangerous blood clots form in veins as a result of cross-talk between white blood cells and platelets. This mechanism underpins deep vein thrombosis (DVT) — a condition that can be life-threatening if the clots move to the lungs.

Steffen Massberg at the Technical University of Munich in Germany and his colleagues created a mouse model that displays many of the hallmarks of human DVT. In vivo imaging revealed that as blood flow is reduced — as can occur in humans during extended bouts of inactivity, such as on long-haul flights — DVT begins when monocytes and neutrophils, two types of white blood cell, stick to blood vessel walls. These cells then release molecules that trigger coagulation. Clot formation is enhanced when platelets adhere to either the vessel wall or to the attached white blood cells.

J. Exp. Med. 209, 819–835 (2012)