Thrombus

A thrombus is a blood clot formed from platelets, fibrin, and blood cells within the vascular system. It normally forms as a healthy response to blood vessel injury to prevent bleeding (hemostasis), but can become harmful when it obstructs blood flow (thrombosis), potentially leading to tissue ischemia or infarction. Thrombi can form in veins (venous thrombosis, e.g., deep vein thrombosis) or arteries (arterial thrombosis, e.g., stroke, heart attack). If a piece of thrombus breaks off and travels through the bloodstream, it becomes an embolus and can cause life-threatening complications such as pulmonary embolism or stroke. A thrombus is not a specific molecule, receptor, or protein, but rather the physical end product of the coagulation and hemostasis process involving multiple molecular players (e.g., fibrin, platelets, coagulation factors). Thus, it is not itself a target for drug discovery, but its formation and consequences are key therapeutic and diagnostic considerations in cardiovascular and hematological medicine.

Other names

Blood clotintravascular clotcruor

Inhibition of coagulation cascade (prevents new clot formation); Enhancement of fibrinolysis (breaks down existing clots); Inhibition of platelet aggregation (prevents clot growth)