VWF fibers induce thrombosis during cancer

Abstract

In this issue of Blood, Bauer et al1 provide an explanation for the formation of luminal von Willebrand factor (VWF) fibers observed in cancer patients, which is initiated through tumor-derived vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A). Platelet aggregation on VWF fibers correlated with a prothrombic state associated with decreased a disintegrin-like and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin type I repeats 13 (ADAMTS13) activity in cancer patients