Bridging and Clumping: Investigating Platelet Interactions with P. falciparum-Infected Red Blood Cells and Endothelial Cells in Cerebral Malaria

Abstract

The methods presented in this chapter describe how to perform ex vivo clumping and in vitro bridging assays in the context of cerebral malaria. Both the protocols are detailed, and emphasis is made on how to prepare platelet suspensions suitable to each technique, including description of specific buffers and reagents to minimize the risk of aggregation while maintaining the platelet properties.