Downstream Regulatory Element Antagonist Modulator, a target for anti-thrombotic agents

Circulating platelets participate in the process of numerous diseases including thrombosis, inflammation, and cancer. Thus, it is of great importance to understand the underlying mechanisms mediating platelet activation under disease conditions. Emerging evidence indicates that despite the lack of a nucleus, platelets possess molecules that are involved in gene transcription in nucleated cells. This review will summarize downstream regulatory element antagonist modulator (DREAM), a transcriptional repressor, and highlight recent findings suggesting its novel non-transcriptional role in hemostasis and thrombosis.