In addition to its central role in blood coagulation, it has become increasingly apparent that thrombin and thrombin receptors are involved in many other physiological processes and can contribute to a variety of disease states such as tumor progression and metastasis, inflammation, neurological disorders and cardiovascular complications. This book is a collection of reviews of up-to-date information on the above topics by leaders in these fields.

This book will be of value to researchers and academic professionals both in basic and clinical science who are interested in the fields of biochemistry, biophysics, cell biology, pharmacology, cancer, inflammation, angiogenesis, cardiovascular system and neuronal system. These areas of research are prime target areas for drug development by many pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.

It has become increasingly evident in recent years that, apart from the key role that thrombin plays in the blood coagulation cascade, thrombin also elicits cellular actions via the activation of proteinase-activated receptors, which are present in many cell types. These effects of thrombin are seen in a variety of physiological as well as pathological phenomena, including vascular development and physiology, tumor progression and metastasis, neuronal functions, inflammation, angiogenesis. Thrombin: Physiology and Disease, edited by Michael E. Maragoudakis and Nikos E. Tsopanoglou, emphasizes the new developments in this important field of research and provides the basis for translating these findings into therapeutic targets."