The consequences of advanced vascular diseases. heart attack and stroke, continue to represent the most common causes of death and disability in the United States and in most industrialized countries. Despite important developments over the past three decades in this area, experimental progress in vascular medicine continues to advance our knowledge rapidly in this area. In this setting, an integrated understanding of the relative roles of thrombosis, angiogenesis and vascular cell function and biology will likely provide important insights and lead to the development of novel therapeutic and preventive strategies. This conference """"""""Vascular Medicine and Thrombin, 2001"""""""" focuses on thrombin as a central mediator of hemostasis, tissue repair, vascular cell function, and development both under normal and pathological circumstances. The interest in thrombin and its function stems from: 1) thrombin's role in normal and pathological thrombus formation in cardiovascular diseases and in wound healing; 2) thrombins role in coagulation and cellular growth; 3) thrombin's amenability in the most sophisticated structure-function studies; and 4) thrombin's activation of three of the four protease activated receptors (PARs). This conference will build upon prior FASEB conferences on thrombin furthering our understanding of this important area by bringing together internationally recognized leaders from various disciplines who have a common interest in thrombin and these themes. This application is a request for funds to partially support this interdisciplinary, international conference. The small group format promoted by the FASEB Summer Research Conferences creates an ideal forum for exchanging knowledge and inevitably enhancing understanding of thrombin's nature and function. Topics to be discussed at the June 9-14, 2001 meeting in Montana include: a) thrombin structure and function; b) genetic models; c) signaling through protease activated responses; d) thrombin function in the CNS; e) role of thrombin in mitogenesis, angiogenesis, and cancer; f) inter-relationships between thrombosis and the renin-angiotensin system; g) thrombin, growth factors and atherosclerosis.
