urokinase

biochemistry

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 14, 2026

Quick Summary

Urokinase is an enzyme produced by the kidney and found in urine. It is a protease enzyme that activates plasminogen directly. This activation is part of the body's natural fibrinolytic system, which dissolves blood clots.12

Urokinase is used therapeutically to dissolve blood clots, such as those in the heart. Compared to other fibrinolytic drugs like streptokinase, urokinase produces fibrinolysis with less breakdown of coagulation factors. It is obtained from tissue culture of human kidney cells.12

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

2 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

fibrinolytic drug
Urokinase, a protease enzyme that activates plasminogen directly, is obtained from tissue culture of human kidney cells. Urokinase lyses recently formed pulmonary emboli and, compared with streptokinase, it produces fibrinolysis without extensive breakdown of the coagulation factors.
Read More
Urokinase, a protease enzyme that activates plasminogen directly, is obtained from tissue culture of human kidney cells. Urokinase lyses recently formed pulmonary emboli and, compared with streptokinase, it produces fibrinolysis without extensive breakdown of the coagulation factors.
Read More