Pharmacology of Induced Artificial Platelets in Regenerative Medicine: Beyond Transfusion

Platelet-rich plasma has emerged as a widely used regenerative therapy across multiple medical specialties, yet fundamental quality-control and standardization challenges have limited the associated clinical evidence base. Induced pluripotent stem cell-derived artificial platelets represent a next-generation approach that addresses these limitations through standardized, scalable manufacturing under good manufacturing practice conditions. This review examines the pharmacological properties of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived artificial platelets, with an emphasis on the associated pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and safety profiles in regenerative medicine applications. Unlike donor-derived platelet concentrates, which exhibit substantial batch-to-batch variability in platelet counts, leukocyte content, and growth factor concentrations, iPSC-derived platforms enable precise control over product composition and functional characteristics. Moreover, preclinical studies have demonstrated therapeutic efficacy in osteoarthritis models by modulating anabolic and catabolic pathways, with emerging clinical data supporting acceptable safety profiles. The transition from transfusion-focused applications to regenerative medicine represents a paradigm shift in artificial platelet development, requiring novel pharmacological characterization frameworks distinct from traditional hematology endpoints. Therefore, manufacturing standardization, quantifiable pharmacokinetic parameters, and reproducible pharmacodynamic effects position iPSC-derived artificial platelets as promising candidates for regenerative applications, where current platelet-rich plasma therapies often yield inconsistent outcomes.