Protease-Activated Receptors in Hemostasis, Thrombosis and Beyond

Abstract

Protease-activated receptors (PARs) provide a mechanism by which thrombin and related proteases can regulate the behavior of platelets and other cells. Overall, the coagulation cascade and PARs together provide an elegant system that links mechanical information in the form of disruption of vascular integrity to appropriate cellular responses involved in hemostasis, inflammation, repair, and even pain perception. This talk will focus on lessons from ex vivo studies of human platelets, animal models and human clinical trials that speak to the roles of PARs in platelet activation, hemostasis and thrombosis and on work in progress that speaks to roles for this system in blood vessel formation and other processes in the vertebrate embryo.