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How does fibrinolysis remove a fibrin clot after wound healing begins?
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wound
Injuries that break skin can be painfully memorable.
During the process of wound healing, the body utilizes the fibrinolytic system to remove the fibrin clot once it is no longer needed.12
The dissolution of the clot occurs through the following mechanism:
- Activation: Endothelial cells release an activating factor that converts the precursor plasminogen into the active enzyme plasmin.1
- Degradation: Plasmin acts to degrade the fibrin fibers that form the structural basis of the clot.12
- Completion: As the fibrin is dissolved via this process of fibrinolysis, the temporary clot is replaced by a permanent framework of scar tissue, which includes collagen, effectively completing the healing process.2
This system is highly regulated; in the bloodstream, plasmin is typically kept in check by circulating inhibitors to prevent the unnecessary breakdown of coagulation factors.1