Hematopoietic and Lung Platelet Biogenesis as a Prognostic Indicator in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

A recent study indicated that, in mice, the lung harbours megakaryocytes and is a site of platelet biogenesis. The presence of megakaryocytes has also been reported in human lungs; however, the characteristics and role of lung megakaryocytes in homeostatic conditions, as well as chronic lung diseases such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), need to be better understood. Therefore, the study investigated whether megakaryocyte/platelet gene signatures are altered in IPF by analyzing publicly available transcriptome datasets with xCell, a novel computational method.