Nuove strategie antipiastriniche.

In the 1960s, the platelet inhibitory properties of several drugs were discovered. Like aspirin, they were already in clinical use for other therapeutic indications. Since then, the search for new and more rational antiplatelet strategies has been constant but only moderately successful, although new molecules with high selectivity for platelet function have been developed. The authors briefly review some recent advances in platelet pharmacology and focus their attention on pharmacogenetics, a potential approach to new antiplatelet strategies. Would this approach be successful, individuals rather than epidemiologically defined groups of patients might better benefit from newly targeted antiplatelet drugs.