Ristocetin

Ristocetin is an antibiotic that was originally used to fight bacterial infections but is now primarily employed in medical lab tests. In these tests, ristocetin helps measure how well platelets (cell fragments involved in blood clotting) stick together, which is important in diagnosing bleeding disorders like von Willebrand disease. It works by inducing platelets to clump, allowing doctors to assess their function. Although no longer used as an antibiotic, ristocetin remains valuable in laboratory diagnostics to evaluate clotting problems accurately.