Not simply misshapen red cells: multimolecular and cellular events in sickle vaso-occlusion

Thromboinflammatory diseases result from the interactions of vascular endothelial cells, inflammatory cells, and platelets with cellular adhesion molecules, plasma proteins, and lipids. Tipping the balance toward a prothrombotic, proinflammatory phenotype results from multicellular activation signals. In this issue of the JCI, Li et al. explore the regulation of heterotypic neutrophil-platelet contacts in response to TNF-alpha-induced venular inflammation with relevance to sickle cell disease (SCD).