Fibrinolysis

Fibrinolysis (fibrin cleavage) is the name for the endogenous dissolution of a blood clot (thrombus) by the enzyme plasmin. Plasmin splits the fibrin polymers, which hold the thrombus together, into small fibrin degradation products, and the thrombus disintegrates. Physiological fibrinolysis in the body is mainly activated by the tissue-specific plasminogen activator and urokinase. The most important non-physiological activators of plasminogen are staphylokinase and streptokinase, which can also be used therapeutically to dissolve thrombi (thrombolysis). Both have in common that they do not have enzymatic activity themselves, but form a complex with plasminogen or plasmin, which is able to activate plasminogen. Today, recombinant (artificially produced) activators (rt-PA, Alteplase) are used therapeutically.

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fibrinolyse _{(Wikipedia CC-by-sa-3.0)}