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The Sound of Evolution
Urokinase
Mechanism of action:
Urokinase is a thrombolytic/fibrinolytic agent and a serine protease. It directly cleaves plasminogen in the blood to generate active plasmin and does not need to bind fibrin first in order to function. Plasmin hydrolyzes the fibrin meshwork that forms the structural scaffold of a thrombus, and it can also degrade fibrinogen and certain clotting factors, causing the thrombus structure to disintegrate and be cleared.
Reference(s):
1. Urano T et al. (2018). Regulation of plasminogen activation on cell surfaces and fibrin. J Thromb Haemost.
2. Kasai S et al. (1985). Primary structure of single-chain pro-urokinase. J Biol Chem.
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