Oklahoma Medical Researchers Make New Findings About Blood Platelets

Oklahoma researchers say they've made a new discovery about our how blood works.

Doctors know that white cells can leave our blood vessels to go fight specific problems in our bodies, like infections. But they've long wondered how a large group of the cells can leave the vessels without causing them to leak other types of blood cells.

Scientists at the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation say they've figured out that platelets in our blood provide a patch that makes it possible.

"Once they go outside, they release a substance. It's a small lipid molecule and that molecule can stick, go back, bind to the vessel wall to maintain the vessel junction. They can join together in a tight way," said OMRF researcher Dr. Lijun Xia.

Scientists hope the discovery will help them find better ways to treat victims of severe injury and infection.