Urokinase Plasminogen Activator: A Potential Thrombolytic Agent for Ischaemic Stroke.

Urokinase Plasminogen Activator: A Potential Thrombolytic Agent for Ischaemic Stroke. Cell Mol Neurobiol. 2019 Sep 24;: Authors: Kadir RRA, Bayraktutan U Abstract Stroke continues to be one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Restoration of cerebral blood flow by recombinant plasminogen activator (rtPA) with or without mechanical thrombectomy is considered the most effective therapy for rescuing brain tissue from ischaemic damage, but this requires advanced facilities and highly skilled professionals, entailing high costs, thus in resource-limited contexts urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA) is commonly used as an alternative. This literature review summarises the existing studies relating to the potential clinical application of uPA in ischaemic stroke patients. In translational studies of ischaemic stroke, uPA has been shown to promote nerve regeneration and reduce infarct volume and neurological deficits. Clinical trials employing uPA as a thrombolytic agent have replicated these favourable outcomes and reported consistent increases in recanalisation, functional improvement and cerebral haemorrhage rates, similar to those observed with rtPA. Single-chain zymogen pro-urokinase (pro-uPA) and rtPA appear to be complementary and synergistic in their action, suggesting that their co-administration may improve the efficacy of thrombolysis without affecting the overall risk of haemorrhage. Large clinical trials ...
Source: Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology - Category: Cytology Authors: Tags: Cell Mol Neurobiol Source Type: research