In the case of vessel injury and under high shear rates (e.g., in intact small arteries and arterioles, shear rates are 450–1600 s−1, but at sites of advanced atherosclerosis, shear rates might reach up to 11,000 s−1 and even higher), the vWF shape unfolds, and opens binding sites, in particular for glycoprotein (GP) Ib receptors of platelets. The gene discussed is VWF; the disease is atherosclerosis.