Platelets are small, anucleate blood cells that play an essential role in hemostasis. Their primary task is to recognize vascular injury, become activated, and aggregate via their surface receptor integrin αIIbβ3. This leads to the formation of a stable platelet plug that seals the wound and stops bleeding. When this process becomes dysregulated, however, it can result in vessel-occluding clots – so-called thromboses – which may cause myocardial infarction or stroke.