A glycoprotein that possesses thrombolytic (i.e., blood clot-dissolving) activity. It is used as a drug to dissolve clots and acts by first binding to fibrin (clots). It then activates (i.e., proteolytically cleaves) plasminogen (molecules) to yield plasmin, a bloodbome enzyme that itself cleaves molecular bonds in the fibrin clot. The plasmin molecules diffuse through the fibrin clot and cause the clot to dissolve rapidly. With the dissolution of the clot, blood flow to the formerly blocked blood vessel (e.g., the heart) is restored.
An agent given to cause fibrinolysis in blood clots.
Thrombolytic agent that causes fibrinolysis at the site of blood clot formation; used currently in the treatment of acute myocardial infarction.
An enzymatic substance that acts to dissolve blood clots; used therapeutically following myocardial infarction to restore blood supply to heart muscle.
A natural enzyme that helps degrade blood clots by freeing plasmin from plasminogen. Plasmin in turn breaks down fibrin, the substance that forms the structural meshwork of clots.
A medication capable of dissolving a blood clot within the brain, thereby interrupting an ongoing ischemic stroke.
Also known as TPA, this substance is generated by the inner lining of blood vessels and aids in breaking down blood clots. Artificially produced TPA is known as alteplase and is utilized as a clot-dissolving medication to treat conditions like heart attacks (myocardial infarction) and pulmonary embolisms (arterial blockages in the lungs). Potential side effects of TPA include nausea, vomiting, bleeding or the development of a hematoma (a blood clot) at the injection site, as well as allergic reactions.