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Updated: Apr 12, 2026

3D Modeling of Dendritic Spines with Synaptic Plasticity
Published on: May 18, 2020
Thrombin regulation of synaptic transmission and plasticity: implications for health and disease
Marina Ben Shimon1, Maximilian Lenz2, Benno Ikenberg2
1Department of Neurology, The J. Sagol Neuroscience Center, The Chaim Sheba Medical Center Tel HaShomer, Israel.
Abstract:
Thrombin, a serine protease involved in the blood coagulation cascade has been shown to affect neural function following blood-brain barrier breakdown. However, several lines of evidence exist that thrombin is also expressed in the brain under physiological conditions, suggesting an involvement of thrombin in the regulation of normal brain functions. Here, we review ours' as well as others' recent work on the role of thrombin in synaptic transmission and plasticity through direct or indirect activation of Protease-Activated Receptor-1 (PAR1). These studies propose a novel role of thrombin in synaptic plasticity, both in physiology as well as in neurological diseases associated with increased brain thrombin/PAR1 levels.
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