Are hemostasis and thrombosis two sides of the same coin?
Factor XII (FXII), a clotting enzyme that can initiate coagulation in vitro, has long been considered dispensable for normal blood clotting in vivo because hereditary deficiencies in FXII are not associated with spontaneous or excessive bleeding. However, new studies show that mice lacking FXII are protected against arterial thrombosis (obstructive clot formation) and stroke. Thus, FXII could be a unique drug target that could be blocked to prevent thrombosis without the side effect of increased bleeding.
Sol Sherry Thrombosis Research Center and Hematology Division, Department of Medicine, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA. colmanr@temple.edu
Robert W
RW
Colman
D000818:Animals; D019774:Blood Coagulation Factor Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005173:Factor XI Deficiency / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005174:Factor XII / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D005175:Factor XII Deficiency / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005337:Fibrin / Q000378:metabolism; D006487:Hemostasis / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
D019774:Blood Coagulation Factor Inhibitors; D005174:Factor XII; D005337:Fibrin