Molecular determinants of vitamin K-dependent protease signalling

Abstract

In addition to facilitating fibrin clot formation, a growing body of evidence suggests that coagulation factors play an important role in regulating the innate immune response to infection. Vitamin K-dependent (VKD) proteases that control haemostasis also possess the ability to signal on cells via specific receptors to either exacerbate or inhibit inflammation. In this thesis, the capacity of activated protein C (APC), factor Vila (FVIIa) and factor Xa (FXa), which share significant structural and receptor binding homology, to modulate inflammatory signalling pathways was investigated.