Abstract: Thrombomodulin, a key regulator in coagulation, acts as an inhibitor to thrombogenesis through being combined with thrombin and activating protein C. In recent years, with the revealing of the fact that thrombin and activated protein C play important roles in regulating inflammation, thrombomodulin is becoming a research hot spot in inflammation, immunity, leukocyte differentiation and adhesion, which has extended to carcinoma. In this article, we aim to investigate the research advances in thrombomodulin in the areas mentioned above.